Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM Season 3
by Mercenary X
Summary: SatAM: Sonic and company are done with celebrating the demise of Robotnik, the plan to retake the city is underway. What no one knows is that Snively has taken over in place of his uncle, and the Freedome fighters will be paying a heavy price. Rated Teen
1. Episode 1: Old guard out, new guard in

By Mercenary X & Zyote

Edited by Zyote

Proofread by Jeff "Greyhound1211" Phillips

Special thanks to Jamie Swiftrunner for Bunnie's accent

Chapter/Episode 1 Old Guard out, New Guard In

Morning broke over knothole, the sunlight filtered though the tree tops, the morning fog lingering in the air. Early morning birds starting to sing their songs as the dew on the leaves caught the light and made it dance with a colidoscope of colors.

All this was contrasted by small amounts of ash from fireworks that happen to have came from a party the night before.

A party whose lingering evidence was the empty bottles strewn around and the blanket of confetti that made each room feel like a horse stall.

Along with that is the occasional party-goer, passed out on the floor and happy to spend the night there. It seemed the massive celebrations were everywhere that night.

However, in a small area above in the trees where a lookout that was also used for planning thanks to all the maps and papers about, called the planning room, lay two figures, both on a couch as they sleeped peacefully.

The sunlight started to bleed though, slightly disturbing the blue hedgehog as he turned his head away from the source of his annoyance.

The second figure, a chipmunk/squirrel female hybrid, just kept her head on the chest of the hedgehog, sleeping soundly, her head rising and falling with the breathing of her companion.

Then the sound of metal feet slowly started to get closer. In walked a robotic hedgehog with a metal mustache carrying backpacks in each hand.

He looked in to see the two on the couch and stopped in the doorway.

"Ah, to be young again." he said, a small smile forming on his metalic face.

He then walked to the table in the middle of the room and took some papers from a stand and unfolded them, he then turned back to the couple.

"Rise and shine you two, we've got work to do!" The elder Sir Charles, or uncle Chuck as those closest so fondly called him, spoke loudly to the couple.

The shout startled them and caused both to wake up and then suddenly fall from the couch onto the floor this time with the blue hedgehog on top of his companion.

The two looked at each other and then just as quickly got up with reddish cheeks.

As they got to their feet, they turned and looked to the one that woke them both up. The look, if it could have, would have melted Uncle Chuck's body to slag.

"Now don't go giving me that look, you two. We've got so much to do in the coming hours." he said as he continued looking though the various stacks of papers as if trying to find something.

"Nice to see you too, Uncle Chuck." The blue hedgehog spoke in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Why the sudden wake up call?"

"Well, Sonic, we've got to scout out the city. Now that Robotnik is finally gone, we can go in and start to assess the damage and figure out where to go from there."

He turned back to the paper he was looking and put it aside before opening another rolled up paper.

"But won't the SWATbots in the city try and capture or kill us on sight?" Sonic spoke looking at his uncle as if he grew a new head.

"Robotnik took most of his SWATbots with him for the Doomsday machine. Right now the city is running on a skeleton crew who will be too busy dealing with maintenance and keeping an eye on the robotized worker bots to pay us any head."

At this point Sally Acorn decided to jump in.

"He's right, Sonic, with Robotnik and his forces all but completely destroyed, we'll have free reign of the city."

"And I for one want to get started now while everything is running on minimal what with all the power that was diverted effectively killing all the security and while we can get in to the command central controls and shut down the city with very little issue."

"Oh, I see." Sonic said competently forgetting the rude awaking from before and replacing his annoyance with excitement.

"The fat cat is away and we get to play, so what's the plan then?"

"Well, for starters, I need to gather some plans of the city's power grid and communication lines. I'm going to have to tap into that to get in the central tower. Even with the city pretty powerless, the central tower has its own power supply and we're going to have to figure something out to open it up." Uncle Chuck said getting another group of papers and sorting though them.

"Sonic," Said Sally, "Get Rotor up and ask him to get a survey team together. Then get Bunnie, Antoine, and yourself ready."

"In a Sonic second." he saluted to Sally and in a flash, sped out the door creating a massive gust of wind causing the papers in the room to fly around then die back in place. Sally just shook her head as uncle Chuck gave a soft chuckle.

She then turned to the Robian.

"We're going to have a talk later about your bedside manners Mister."

With that she walked out of the room with a playful smirk on her face, a fact that Chuck didn't miss.

Ten minutes later

Sonic was waiting by the very well hidden entrance of Knothole's only path out into the 'Great forest' outside of the use of the hidden tree stump slide. He keeps taping his foot on the ground checking his watch every so often.

"What's taking them so long?" He spoke as he started to pace.

"SONIC!"

The blue hedgehog turned to the voice that shouted his name and saw the two tailed fox Miles Powers, or Tails as he was more commonly known as, come flying in the air to him by using his two tails as impromptu helicopter blades.

"SONIC! Wait up!" The small yellow and white child yelled as he came in for a landing in front of his hero.

"I heard about the trip into Robotropolis. I want to come too."

"Hey, little guy, I'd love to have you along, but you know that something like that is up to Sally." Sonic pointed out while he rubbed Tails' head with his palm.

"Ah, why not, Robotnik is gone and the city is doesn't have any power." Tails gave his best puppy dog look hoping it would help guilt Sonic into letting him go.

"Where did you hear that?"

"I heard Rotor talking about it to NICOLE as he was packing up "

"Well, tell you what Tails, let's see if we can't okay it with Sally."

"Okay what Sonic?" Sally said as she, Antoine, Bunnie, and Rotor, came into view of the two. But before Sonic could say anything, Tails beat him to the punch.

"I heard you are going into the city, Aunt Sally, and I wanted to come and help as well. Please, Please, Please can I come?" The two tailed fox spoke each 'please' with a bounce.

"I don't know, Tails," Sally spoke looking into his eyes.

"Ah have a heart, Sally girl, it's not like there's anything to worry about this time around. Ole Robotnik went and bought the worm farm in the sky." Bunnie spoke as she readjusted her backpack.

"Yeah," Rotor spoke up, "It's not like it can hurt, and it will give me a chance to test out some new inventions. I could use Tails' flying to help a great deal. Plus it would free up Bunnie."

At the insistence of the other two, Sally relaxed a bit. "Alright, you can come Tails."

At that the fox started to jump up and down in excitement, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"BUT! I want you to be on your best behavior and to be with one of us at all times, you understand? We don't know if Robotnik left anything behind."

"Yes, Aunt Sally." The little fox said and gave a salute. At this point Chuck and three other Mobians came into view each with a backpack and Chuck with an extra backpack in his left hand as well as a duffel bag in his right.

"I see that we're all ready then?" Chuck asked the group.

"Yes," Sally answered. "Let's get going."

"Hey, Uncle Chuck, let me carry that backpack for you." Tails walked up to the Robian.

"Oh, well isn't that big of you? Sure thing. Here you go, sport." Chuck said as he gave Tails the extra backpack.

With that the group then started making their way out of Knothole and into the Great Forest towards their ultimate destination, Robotopolis.

Robotopolis

Central Command Center

Main Robotization room

"Just a bit more." A whiny nasalize voice spoke, Snively, with his upper body inside what looked like the back of a chair and his bottom half sticking in the air while standing on his tip toes worked on a his machine, or really worked on the machine his uncle the 'late' Dr. Julian Robotnik.

"Blast it all! Why did the fat guy have to go and die on me and not leave his notes anywhere that I can find it? It's taken me all night to figure out how to get this together again." He said to him self in frustration. A sudden beeping alerted him that one of the drones was at the door, most likely to give him the report he asked for.

"Enter!" He yelled from inside the machine, the door opened and a SWATbot walked in with a data pad in his hands. He walks in and stops just a few feet short of Snively. "Report." He said when he didn't hear the stomp of the metal feet.

The SWATbot then lifted the data pad and in its monotone voice spoke up. "As per your orders sir, all codes have been changed and all administrative privileges in the tower have been reassigned to you. It will take some time before the changes will be integrated into the rest of the city. Maintenance and Worker bots are right now unhooking the underground energy line to the Doomsday machine's main feed."

"Good. Once that idiocy of a plan has been disconnected from the main power grid, I can rid my self of that power leech and finally get a much needed system up and running instead of being forced to work with only auxiliary power. How is the search for any hidden back doors into the system or pass codes that are not in the main system index? Knowing Robotnik, he must have some kind of override in place that he never told me about. I surely don't need that coming back to bite me."

"So far only 23% of the main systems have been searched. Only 3.289% of all city wide systems are able to be checked due to power loss. Data mining drones are sifting though what they can here in Central Control. Of that 89.9% have been checked out and at least 1394 different codes fall under the search criteria. They are isolating these data strings and confirming if there are back doors."

"Excellent. Also make sure to do a comparison of hard copy blueprints to all hardware systems as well for key areas; just to be sure once we have power up and also make sure that the same goes for any and all assembly lines. I want to make sure all systems are clean of any access that Robotnik might try to get into."

"Yes sir," the robot spoke typing in these new orders into the data pad. "Your order to recall all robotized mobain worker units is under way, but until full power has been restored, conservative estimates without unforeseen issues place completion of orders at 6 months, with power restored in at least 2 weeks."

"Good, all the more reason to get power restored to the city. OUCH!" He yelled, his feet jumping into the air as he gets an electrical shock off the internal components. "Ugh, that blasted **** Julian! Why does he always insist on these designs? What is the point of these if all it does is just make the Robian into another upgraded worker-bot? You!" Snively pointed an arm and pointed to the robot behind him. "Hand me that new circuit board, the blue one with the green stripes and gold lettering. Yes, that one, bring it here."

The Robot responded by picking up a circuit board via its static safety handle from a tray table and passed it to Snively's waiting hand. The Overlander then continued to fiddle with the machine, while putting in the new board in its place.

"At least with this new setup it will far surpass the original designs and intentions of Robotnik's Combat Robotizier. Honestly, why he didn't want to use this is beyond me; and to try and force only one design on them was just asking for trouble. He should have taken my idea of making them varied enough to counter many situations. But, no, he gets the idea of the Doomsday machine and doesn't listen to logic. At least he wasn't dumb enough to dispose of it like so many other good ideas, or great ones by me."

"Do you wish to hear the rest of the reports, sir?" The robot asked, ever since Snively upgraded the SWATbot with its new A.I. software upgrade, it felt almost as if it was making sarcastic remarks. Yes, this new software upgrade hasn't had all the bugs worked out of it, but at least it was smart enough and it was more loyal and not prone to being tricked like its lesser brethren, plus the added use of the questioning helped reminded him of tasks, should he go off topic.

"Yes, what else is there?"

"Just one last item: all material, research, blueprints, and data on the Robotizier are being taken off the network as priority one, once power has been restored. All copies, and hard copies are being redirected to the vault, and all Robotizier are being taken offline to be re-purposed into the new CR units once completion and testing of a successful prototype CR unit has been established."

"Good. While you're at it, make sure to have any and all patrols pulled and have all available online to go into standby mode and have the auxiliary units up and running, but on standby inside this tower. And if possible, add more units to Station 7."

"Yes sir." The bot finished and turned around to leave.

Snively grumbled a bit more as he continued to work on the machine. As logical as it would have been to keep patrolling the city, his forces where too thinly spread as he is just trying to rebuild and recoup the losses that the Doomsday machine had incurred. He had given his concern over the operational success, only to be given the speech about how it was perfect and nothing will stop it. He was so eternally grateful that Robotnik gave him total control over the first building of the machine. The escape bunker was something he put in knowing that if the whole thing failed, and an epic failure it was, that the escape pod would be worthless because of the Void's gravitational pull would suck just about anything in it. And chances are nothing would survive if sucked to it via this uncontrollable method.

He was also absolutely unbelievably glad that Robotnik saw fit not to continue using the Robotized Mobians, and send them into the city to monitor and maintain the power supplies to the Doomsday machine. The few that where still there at the time got away and made it back to Robotopolis, but now he had to order them to reconfigure the power supply, trying to get the city back up and running. At least he had the Hydro-Electric Dam supplementing the power to the central tower. The Combat Robotizier wouldn't have enough power to work and even with the Capacitors' charged to full, it wouldn't be enough with just the tower's back ups. At least with 'all' the workerbots accounted for, he could go though with this plan.

Suddenly the lights on the chair and the base that it was on turned on and started to blink. Pulling himself out, Snively could be seen covered with sweat, dust and grim, a head lamp on his forehead, and a soldering iron in one hand. Looking at the chair, he then dropped the iron on a table and went to the main computer in the room. After entering some commands and waiting a few seconds, a message reading '100% functionality: No Errors' came up.

"YES! Now to finish up the final touches and I can run simulations! However, it would be better to have a live subject first before I try it on any Worker Robians. Still, chances are good that might happen soon if the Freedom Fighters are smart and come in to try and get a hold of the city, thinking that he might be sharing the same fate as his uncle, either in the zone or dead." He said, rubbing his hand on his chin thinking of plans. He then went back to the machine and went about to finish up his work and get it ready for it's first run though.

A few minutes later - Outside an abandon restaurant near the inner square leading to Castle Acorn, Robotopolis

After a long walk into the city, the group of ten Mobians were looking at a holographic map of the area projected by Sally's Portable Super Computer NICOLE.

"Okay, from what we can see, power is out everywhere but two places. The central tower, Robotnik's control center, is at and the hydro power plant and all the others are still directing power to the Doomsday weapon; but it looks like some kind of automated instructions where in place in case Robotnik's plan failed. We don't have much time before the power will be rerouted back into the city."

She then pushed a button on Nicole and about 7 points on the map become highlighted.

"While we still have time, I have a plan to buy us more time. At these points around the central tower are control power nodes. If we cut these, and we'll not only cut power to the main distribution node, but we'll also prevent any more power being directed to the tower, forcing it to keep it on minimal power and Security off."

"Which is why we're going to be working in teams to save time." Uncle Chuck said as he started to give out ear pieces attached to mics. "We are to stay in contact at all times. We don't know if Robotnik left behind anything in place and I for one don't want anyone getting lost or hurt out there."

"Right," Sally continued, "while this is going on, me and Sonic will be heading to the tower and we'll be trying to get access to the main controls or the Robotizier and at least get what ever we can from it."

"What about me Aunt Sally?" Tails spoke up excited.

Rotor then pulled off his backpack and opened it. "Well you can help me with this, we're going to need eyes in the sky, and for that I have this."

Pulling out a belt with pouches and what looked like a hat with camera attached and what looked like a glasses with some wires attached to them, Rotor offered them to Tails.

Rotor then continued to explain to Tails, "I'll need you to wear this and fly up high above the area for as long as you can and give us a bird's eye view. Because these cameras will show us everything you see, it will be a very big help to us."

"Cool!" The fox child said excitedly as Rotor helped him put on the equipment. "Okay, I'll do my best." He saluted everyone, and started to rotate his tails like helicopter blades and began to climb above the buildings. Before long, he was going higher and higher until he was but a pebble in the sky.

"Okay Tails, that's high enough." Rotor spoke into his head set. "Now start circle around us. Stop and land and take a rest if you get tired."

"Okay, Rotor!" Everyone heard over the radio; and with that, Tails began to fly around and peer down towards the ground.

"That should keep him out of trouble and give us more coverage in case there's anything on the ground that might come up and bite us. I'll be able to see anything he sees with this." Rotor took out what looked like another version of NICOLE and hooked up an eye patch-like headset to the other side of his head. The clear, see-through glass then lit up with bright blue and yellow colors. Seconds later, letters, numbers, phrases and finally a diagram could be seen through the glass on the other side, except in reverse, of course.

"That's quite clever there, Rotor. But I want him down on the ground with someone else, should any air patrols show up." Sally said to Rotor. "And take NICOLE with you. You'll need her to get past the security systems in the stations."

The Walrus nodded and took the mini supercomputer from her hands. He then started down a street to his destination. One of the three other Mobians followed him.

"I'll take the others with me," Chuck spoke to Sally and Sonic. "We'll check in every five minutes."

Bunnie and Antoine, also leaving together in a third direction, begin away from the others.

"Now you all better be careful now." Bunnie said as she waved back.

And with that, Sonic and Sally are alone, leaving them to go to the central command center. Sonic turned towards the command center and slowly gazed up at the tall building.

"Come one, Sonic,"

Sonic grasps Sally's hands and slowly brings them up into the air. He then smiles and turns towards her with a cocky look on his face.

Seconds later, he calls out, "Let's do it to it."

Sonic sweeps Sally from her feet, holding her across his chest as if she were a newborn baby. He then bolts towards the building, making a straight bee line towards the forward entrance.

Central Control Tower

Front entrance.

"Well, here we are." Sonic said as he came to a stop in front of the door. "So how do we get in? It's not like we can just go and ring the door bell."

Sonic placed down Sally onto her feet and began to look about. Sally looked all over the front of the entrance. It was then that she noticed a vent about a foot above the door to the left that was open.

"There, the vent. With the power as low as it is, not all the systems, but only the most vital ones, will be working. Help boost me up." Sonic then made a cup with both his hands and Sally stepped into it. Then, with all his might, he launched Sally up. She then was able to catch the lip of the vent and pull herself up. A few seconds later a rope came out from the vent and lowered to Sonic's level. Grabbing the rope, Sonic climbed up and into the vent where Sally had held on with her feet braced at a juncture.

"Okay, let's go, first stop is the Robotizer." She said pulling the rope back and putting it back into her pack."

"Hey Sally, don't you need NICOLE for anything with that thing?" He asked as they started to go down the vent on their hands and knees to their destination.

"We're not in a hurry, and Uncle Chuck got me the codes for the computers so I can access all the data and have it downloaded to a data chip. so NICOLE and Rotor can look at it later. Come on. If things haven't changed since last time, it should be this way."

Central Control Center

Central Tower.

Watching from the control room, a monitor showed the entrance of Sonic and Sally, one of a few that where currently active since the power drain prevented full operational capability of the city.

Snively smiled a devious smile, that in the light of the control room and the ambient light coming from outside though the 360 degree window view of the city, would make one think of him like a 3rd rate bond villain. "Ah, Princess, you and your blue friend never fail to amuse me. I should thank those two for providing me with perfect test subjects. Unit 87483!"

The robot at a control panel looked up as it responded.

"Sir?"

"Have the fire suppression systems put out some knockout gas in the sections that those two are most likely to enter in. Then have all blast doors on standby and have two teams of SWATbots meet me in level 5. I won't be taking any chances like Robotnik ever did."

"Yes sir." The robot went back to continually pressing buttons and entering commands in conjunction to its current monitoring duty.

"Just you watch, Julian, I'm going to out surpass you and your wildest dreams." He called out to his late uncle.

Snively then puts his hands together, pressing only the pads of his fingers together, and laughs maniacally. Half way through the laugh, Snively gasps for air and begins to cough. He pounds into his chest and then slumps back in frustration and weariness.

"I really must work on that laugh." Snively said to himself. "I don't know how my uncle found time to work on his, the lazy old man, with his mind focused on the garbage he worked on."

Sub-Station 4

Power Unit 56-S

Block A

"There!" Shouted Bunnie as she pulled the last handle to the power sub-station. "That'll be the last one. How are they reading, Antoine?"

The Coyote pushed a button he was instructed to earlier, and lines indicating power reading dropped for the area. "It zeys that they are going down."

"Good. Now that that s'all done, it's time to check in with the others." She said, switching on her com-unit. "This is Bunnie, we're done with number 4, how is your work going there?"

"This is Sir Charles here, I'm done here with station number 3."

"This is Rotor, I'm done with numbers 2 though 1 and the other team checked in saying they already got 5 and 6 and are heading back to the Rally point. That just leaves station 7."

Just then Tails cut into the conversation, "Hey guys, I'm by station 7 right now and well, you have to see this."

"What is it Tails?" Rotor asked over the com.

"There's SWATbots out here, lots of them! Check out what I'm seeing!"

Roof near Sub-Station 7

Tails couldn't believe just how many robots were here. The number of bots wouldn't be an issue; it was the fact that they looked armed for all out war and had a number of air supports nearby, putting a light over any square inch of land that was exposed.

"Tails, turn on the camera. Let me see what you are seeing." Tails then pushed a button on the side of the camera on the hat. A little light on the side lit up and it hummed as it warmed up for a second time that day by fault of a requirement to stop transmission to save battery life when he wasn't flying around as their eyes in the sky.

"Holy crap! Tails, get out of there now and get to the rally point! They've got stealth units there and it's a miracle so far that you haven't been spotted yet." This scared Tails, who backed up and bumped into a piece of debris, that began it to roll, rolling into a pipe that then hit another pipe and another and so on. Soon, it was making one huge racket. And if that wasn't enough, one pipe would hit a section of the roof and make an edge fall off onto the ground.

This had the effect of attracting the attention of the SWATbots. Almost immediately two Stealth Air units shined their lights in Tails' direction, swinging in to inspect the sudden disturbance. Lights shined over the roof and were getting close to the fox child's location. Creeping closer and closer, the air units then noticed movement near the pipes that fell. Priming their weapons and coming in closer to the area spooked something out.

That something would be a robotized rat, which would scurry out and sit on its hind legs, its eyes looking directly into the lights. Seconds later it scurried away and back into the pipes, with a line of rat pups, all robotized, following its six. Once it was determined that there was no threat, the air units returned to their holding pattern above the station.

All the while Tails had hidden himself over the edge of the building, on the side hidden from view of the station, in an open window. Breathing a sigh of relief, Tails then could pay attention to the screaming voice of Rotor in his ear.

"Tails! Are you there? Answer me!"

"I'm here, Rotor, the robots are gone." Making an audible sigh of relief himself, Rotor calmed himself down and spoke in more normal tone.

"Thank goodness, Tails. I've got to inform Sonic and Sally about this. Everyone meet up at the rally point. And, Tails, good job staying hidden out there. Now get over here!"

"Okay, Rotor." And with that, Tails began to rotate his tails in their helicopter style and made a dash into the air, but staying well below the roof tops to keep out of sight.

Rotor, on the other hand, was heading there in a hurry, but all the while trying to get in touch with Sonic and Sally.

"Sally, Sonic, are you there? Come on you two, pick up. Do you read me?"

Central Tower

Level 4: Robotization & Detention level.

The Hall way was completely silent, empty and deserted. The emergency lights flickered on and off due to powerfluxuations within the massive room , suddenly a grate vent fell off from the side of the wall. A red/white shoe with a blue leg protruding from the top stuck out. After forcing out the vent out onto the floor, the leg pulled itself back into the vent and a blue hedgehog stuck his head out, peering down the hallway in both directions, looking for any kind of trouble.

"It's clear, Sally." Sonic said as he jumped out the vent on to the floor. Sally, sitting on the edge of the vent, then slid off and landed in Sonic's waiting arms. Putting her down, Sonic then began to turn around, searching the hallway again. "Which way, Sal?"

"This way." She pointed down the hallway. "The main room with the master controls for all the robotiziers are nearby."

"Wow, Sal, it is dead in here. Ive never seen this place so quite before." Sonic wondered aloud.

"I guess chuck was right about robotnik taking his whole army with him during doomsday. It would explain the lack of security." she said as the two continued down the massive hallway

"Yeah, but you think old buttnik would have left something behind. I'd figure he'd have something around to keep us out just in case."

"I know, Sonic. Maybe we just got lucky?"

"I don't know, Sal, it feels a bit too easy."

It was then that garbled and static noises started to come though the headsets.

"....*static*.....al, do you re.....*static*....I say again. Are you two there?"

"Rotor?" Sally spoke up, "I can hear you, what's going on?"

"Oh thank goodness! Sally, Tails just saw Sub-Station 7, it covered with ….*static*..... SWATbots. Something's wrong here Sally, very wrong."

"What? Is Tails okay?"

"Yes, yes, he's fine. He didn't get caught. But if all those bots are in the station, then someone is here and ordering them."

"Okay, Rotor, are the others with you?" She asked with some concern in her voice.

"Yeah, we're at the rally point. What do you want us to do Sally?"

At this point Sonic was looking at Sally with a very worried look. Looking back and forth down the hallway, he noticed it was still quiet, but he was getting that feeling in the pit of his stomach like he just ate a bad chilly dog. "I knew something was up."

"Wait up for us, we'll-" Sally began, but was suddenly interrupted as a blast door slammed down between Sonic and Sally. "Sonic!"

She ran up to the blast door, and started to slam her hands on it. "Sonic, are you okay?"

"I'm fine" He said also slamming his fists on the door. "Sally, I'm going to try and find a way around to you-" Another door slammed with a muffled sound. "Ah, crap! I'm trapped Sally, get out of here."

"I'm not going without you hold on, I'll find the controls."

" Sally, 'cough', I'm being gassed! Get out! 'Cough', 'gasp'!" Sonic hit the ground, grabbing as his neck and choked, all the while not knowing the others where able to hear what was happening.

"Sally! What's going on? Are you to okay?" Rotor yelled into his headset. He could hear what was going on, but couldn't tell what was happening. "Guys, we have to help them!"

"Lead the way, son." Chuck said as everyone agreed knowing the risk by nodding.

"Let's go!" He said and they all took off running to rescue, hoping it's not too late.

"Sally, 'cough', 'cough', Get out of here already."

"I'm not going without you, Sonic! I can get you out of there." Sally yelled as she franticly kept looking for the controls for the blast doors, hoping to get to the hedgehog before . . . no! She wasn't going to think like that, there was still time.

"Sal, 'cough', go . . . save your . . . self.*thud*"

"Sonic? Sonic! Answer me now, you twit!"

She was on the verge of tears, looking all over the wall, taking her in the other direction trying to find the controls.

"Sonic!"

It was then that she heard the sounds of heavy footsteps coming down the hallway.

Then she saw it: two SWATbots started to come up to her, pointing their wrist blasters at her.

"You are under arrest, surrender and prepare to be robotized." The SWATbot spoke in perfect tone to each other.

Sally didn't even think. Years of training into her mind took hold and she made a dash in between the two bots, all the while they started to shoot at her.

Thanks to the sudden charge she was able to avoid the blasts and caused both bots to shoot themselves, causing both to slump back on the wall opposite of one another.

Sally knew at this point there was no way she could get to Sonic without getting caught. Her best bet was to regroup and try to mount an ad-hoc rescue. No way was she going to lose anyone, not when they where this close to getting the city back; and especially not Sonic, not after what she admitted to him that night they where celebrating Robotnik's demise.

_They could tell if the people surrounding her were yelling for them to stop, or to continue, but she didn't care. Sally held Sonic tight as he held her back. Holding the kiss, it felt amazing, even better then when they used the power stones, but, then again, the residue from the stones did help. It felt like she was on fire. It felt like heaven opened up and took her away._

_It was when they broke the kiss that they both realized something, something that words failed to tell, all words where meaningless. No, there was one word for it, it was 'love' and she was in love with Sonic._

"_Come on Sal." Those green eyes, his green eyes. They where enchanting, she didn't know how to explain the magic they held over her. She felt no other thing then to follow him, the party, the others, every sound around them disappeared._

_They left the others behind, not caring about anything else. She didn't know where in Knothole they where going to. She just went wherever he took her. She'd follow him into the Robotizier if it meant they could still be together. It was all she cared about at that moment. The struggle, the pain and loss, the joy of defeating their hated enemy, all of it was meaningless to this moment._

_She didn't know how long they had been and she gotten to the great oak tree and went into the command and planning center, no one was inside, he took her to one of the couches, there he held her face in his hands. She leaned into his embrace as he cupped her at the small of her back with one hand and wrapped the other behind to her head._

_She put her arms around him, they kissed again, and it was just as electric as before, maybe more so, she couldn't tell nor did she care. All that mattered to her was this one moment, the one moment in her heart that she wish could last forever, but that night wouldn't end here for them._

Now

Command Center

Robotization & Detention level

Sally shook her head to focus on the task on hand: escape and rescue. It would be Sonic's only hope at this point and she needed to get to the others or else. Turning the corner at an intersection, she ran into two more SWATbots. She squealed to a stop and, turning, she ran in the opposite trying to get away.

It was then that she felt herself lifted from the ground. The SWATbot had gotten hold of her by her vest. Struggling as hard as she could, she slipped out of her vest and left it behind in the grip of the bot. Sally continued her mad dash for escape. She cursed losing that vest, but better to lose _it_ then her freedom or life.

"Sally!" Rotor's voice came over the head set, "We're almost to the Central Tower. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Rotor, but Sonic's been captured! I'm trying to get out of here to meet up with you. But I'm being chased by SWATbots."

"Hang on, Sally, we're on our way in." Rotor responded as she started to turn another corner.

"I read-" Sally didn't get to finish her words when all of a sudden she felt something smack into her face just before the force threw her into the wall hard enough that it knocked the wind out of here and hit the back of her head on the wall.

Sally's vision was horribly blurred, she blinked her eyes, trying to see what was going on.

In front of her she saw a pale/peach colored blob that was getting bigger.

"Hello, Princess, it's time we finished this little game of ours."

The voice was familiar, but it wasn't Robotnik's. Trying to think was getting harder and harder, the darkness pulling her into her own mind.

"I promise though, I'll make it quick."

"Who . . . are . . ." She tried to say, but Sally slumped over, completely out cold .

Snively came up to her, and pulled her headset off before anyone on the other end could figure out what happened.

"Sally? Sally are you there?" Snively didn't even hesitate to drop the device and smash it under his foot.

"Take her to the Prototype Robotizer and strap her in. You," He pointed to the other robot,

"come with me to retrieve the other one."

"Sally? Sally, are you there?" But all that greeted Rotor's ears, as with everyone's, was the sound of feedback, then static, then nothing. "The line's dead." He said with dread.

All the others looked at Rotor in horror.

"B-b-but what are we going to do" asked Tails looking in fear to what was happening.

"We go in and get them," Chuck spoke up.

"But ve don't know what iz going on," Antoine spoke up, echoing fears that all the others felt.

"Which is why I put transponders in each of our communicators, just in case of a situation like this. Sally's may be down, but I have a fix on Sonic's." Chuck said as he pushed a few buttons on NICOLE. "NICOLE, Display the transponders and overlay it on the tower's blueprints."

"Acessing." The computer responded, after a second or two. A 3D hologram of the building's internal hallways, vents, and rooms was displayed with a blinking of lights clustered outside to the side represented them, but there was one on the fourth floor.

"They're on the detention level with all the Robotizers. We'll have to hurry. We can get in from this vent here; Bunnie, Rotor, Tails, you are with me. The rest of you, Antoine, I'm going to ask you to cut the power at this juncture in this vent. Take the others with you. We'll meet up at the---"

Suddenly Sonic's transponder signal began to move.

"Let's hurry! They are moving him now." Everyone just nods and makes a dead run for the vent. Once they get there, Bunnie grabs two at a time up to the open vent with her telescopic legs, doing this with everyone, save Tails. With Tails in, she then grabs hold of the sides then retracts her legs and follows everyone in, everyone hustling in and crawling as fast as they can.

1 minute prior

Hallway with Sonic

Snively couldn't believe just how easy this was. In one fell swoop he had done what in ten years Robotnik couldn't: the capture and robotization of Princess Sally Acorn and Sonic the Hedgehog. It was easy. The use of good old tactics and waiting for the prey to walk right into the trap. It's a wonder he didn't try it before. One thing he wondered was why didn't Robotnik ever try and play it more tactfully? It could have been the man's unbelievably huge ego and his need to prove himself to somebody.

No matter, it was a moot point. Right now all that mattered was the prize; and what a sweet prize it is. In fact his whole body felt like it was shaking, undoubtedly giddy with anticipation. So much so that he almost forgot about the gas in between the blast doors.

Donning the gas mask and insuring that it was fully in place, he waved the SWATbot forward. The bot then walked up to the blast door and pushed a button on its wrist. The door shuttered at first, but then smoothly rose up, only this end opened up, the gas that filled the room spilled out onto the floor, being heavier then air. The bot then pushed another button on its wrist and pointed its arm at Sonic. A beam of light went over the hedgehog twice, a beep from the robot indicated it was done with the scan.

"Biometric scan complete. Priority one hedgehog has been neutralized. Results indicate target is still active, but unconscious. Proceed with Robotization process?"

Speaking over the communication unit in the mask, "Yes, put him in the restraint chair next to the Princess in the prototype room."

Snively then turned and started to walk back, the SWATbot just went and picked up the Mobain and held Sonic under its arm following Snively back to the lab_._

_???_

"Sonic . . . Help me!"

That voice, where have I heard that voice before? I know it, but I can't put a face with it. It feels so hard. It's hard to think, it's hard to move, it feels like I just ran over all around Mobius twice.

"Sonic, help, I need your help."

The voice just felt like it was coming from everywhere at once. Its echoing felt so surreal, so ghost like. If felt so far off, yet like it was right next to me. My head hurts, why does it hurt? Why now?

"Please help me!"

It was that voice again, it sounded like, it sounded. Oh, I can't think straighter than a circle. I try and open my eyes. However it just seems like there is nothing but darkness. Endless and oppressing darkness, that's when I see it, a tree. What's a tree doing here? I then notice another, and another, and another. Soon the darkness is replaced by the Great Forest.

"Sonic!"

That voice, it's calling me again, but I can't tell where it's coming from because it is echoing off of everything. Off of the trees, off the rocks, off the ground. What was that? It looked like a shadow of someone or something, running into the woods leading to the north elevator basket.

I caught sight of it again: the shadow. It looks familiar. I'm running as fast as I can. At least I think I am. I don't know why, but it feels like I'm running backwards instead of forwards. The elevator is already taken off with the shadow. I can see someone in it, but can't see who it is.

I finally made it to the other basket just as it came down while the other made it to the top. The counter basket, what is it all of a sudden, why do I have this feeling, it's not right, it's---

"Sonic! Please help me, Robotnik is after me!"

Great, I don't have a choice. I have to go and help them, no matter what, no one deserves to have Robotnik after them. I can't let her fall into his hands, I get into the basket . . . I then . . . then . . . wait, did I say her?

"Help! Ahh!"

No time to think! I pull the rope and up goes the basket. It's climbing, it's climbing slowly. It feels wrong again, but I can't stop now. I have to get to her, I have to save her, but her who? Uh! Again with the pain in my head, what is going on, why do I feel this way? Why? Why?! I grab my head and shut my eyes, wheeling about, trying to block out the pain. It's then I hear a ding. A ding? The elevator doesn't have any bells on it, just a sign to tell if it's in use.

I open my eyes to find before me the landfill area near Uncle Chuck's hideout. What am I doing here? I thought I was in the forest? Wait? Where's the basket? Wasn't there one just behind me? It's gone, or was it ever there in the first place?

"Sonic, hurry, he's almost on top of me."

There she was again, her voice, it's drawing me to her, like a siren's song in those old sailor stories. But why does this feel like the same, where it's the kind that make ships crash on rocks, like I'm about to hit a rock?

I can't think. It hurts too badly to think! I have to go, I have to follow her. But, why? What's so important about her?

"Sonic, move it."

I'm able to get going again. I feel like my legs are going more on their own then anything I'm willing them to do. Like I'm on . . . on . . . what's the word? Auto? No, that can't be right. That feels too much like a machine, not enough like a person.

But I keep going. I'm going into Robotopolis. There's worker bots. Mobians turned into robots, or Robians, they were walking all over the place. But something was different; they looked almost alive, something wasn't quite right. Wait, why is everything going so slow? I look around. All these Robians look familiar. Wait, I know those two. They where caught before me and Sal got the 'Time Stones', but they don't look like they used to the look different, like they used to be, a bear and horse, but still metal, wait, what was that?

I see myself in the reflection of a window. Inside I can see flesh and blood people eating and talking and having a good time. I look at them, but they don't seem to see me, I then noticed my reflection some more, my hands, my body, it's robotic. That's not possible! I look at myself. I'm still me. I'm not a robot, not a Robian. But I'm still walking. Wasn't I running before? What is going on? Ugh, my head, it's doing it again.

"Over here Sonic, hurry."

There she is again! I know this voice! I know who it belongs to, but why can't I think of the name? It doesn't matter, I have to get to her. I just got to, it's helping me focus, it's giving me something to go to, to accomplish. There! That doorway, I've got to get there. Oof.

What did I just hit? I look up from the floor to see a boy, a fox boy, a robotized fox boy with two tails. Who is this?

"Sorry, sir," He speaks politely, and offers his hand to me, I take his hand and he pulls me up effortlessly, "Are you okay, sir?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, did you see . . . ugh . . .did? What was I saying?" It's getting fuzzy again, the images are blurry all of a sudden, it's like.

"There you are, sugar." It was another Robian, this time a bunny girl. I know her, but from where? "You know you're not supposed to run off like that. You could have been hurt or worse."

"I'm sorry, but I needed to help him." The kid pointed to me. The Robian girl looks at me with a bit of sudden shock, but that goes and melts into genuine kindness in her looks.

"Oh, I see. Are you okay, sir?" She asks me in a gentle voice. It felt nice, my head, it wasn't hurting anymore. Things feel not so fuzzy. It is almost like my vision is getting shaper, clearer, but not making sense right now.

"Uh, yeah, uh . . . you wouldn't have happened to see a---" I ask but she answers before I finish asking.

"She's over there," She pointed to Robotnik's main tower, his cathedral, the heart of his empire. "If you hurry, you might get to her in time."

"Thanks, I owe you one." I say gratefully, but her smile and the boy's . . . something's off about them; not bad off, just, not normal off. I can't tell, but I don't feel bad with them, the opposite, they make me feel better.

"No need." she said, "you better hurry, she's waiting for you."

"Okay, thanks again." I wave to them and walk, or was I running, off to save Sally. "Sal...." But before I get too far...

"Do you think he'll remember any of this?" I hear the kid ask.

"Maybe," she said. "Something may stay behind."

"Think we'll see him again?" He asked her, why am I hearing this? I must be at least 10 feet or more away from them in all the noise of this city, wait, am I hearing noise in this city?

"That I'm sure of, sooner then any of us, though. I just hope he can make it though this and make it there when the time comes." She said. That was something that felt even more off about and had to ask.

"Hey, what are you two talking . . . about . . .?" I begin to ask.

But as I swing around, I see that they're gone. it's nothing but a sea of faces, metal bodies, and light shining off their bodies, "Huh? Where'd they go?" I ask my self, not expecting any kind of answer from anyone around me.

"Sonic, please hurry, they are going to robotize me!"

"Sal! Hang on Sally, I'm on the way." I have to save Sal.

I'm running, for once it feels like I'm running. I see her, Sally, and she's being dragged into the tower. The doors are closing. I'm not going to lose her. I put everything I have into my run, and run with all my might. I just barely make it though in time for the heavy wooden doors to slam closed behind me. The door barely clips the tip of the heel of my shoe, causing me to trip and fall face first into the floor.

That's when I feel the arms of two SWATbots grab me and lift me up in the air. They hold me my arms and pull me hard. The pain, it prevents me from trying to kick my feet to run.

"Welcome, rodent!" No, it couldn't be, but there he was, in all his putrid glory.

"Robuttnik!" I speak the name I have for him with venom. "How is it you're alive?"

"Don't you know? You can't kill me. You'll never be rid of me! However, the same can not be said about the reverse."

"Where's Sally," I demanded, and got more pain then before from my arms, "Agh!"

"Ah, you don't know just how much your screams are music to my ears. I've waited so long to hear it."

I bet, the lousy good for nothing piece of-

"But as for your dear Princess . . . why don't you have a look." Suddenly a light lights up the room, there's Sally, and in the worst spot possible, in the middle of a Robotizer.

"No!" I struggle, I struggle hard though the pain that the bots are putting me through, but I will not give up.

"Sonic! Help me!" She bangs on the glass, trying hard to get out, desperate to get out.

"Now, let's get started, shall we? Hmm?" He said and pushes a button, the machine starts up, starts to hum, then begins to glow.

"Sonic! Help! Get me out of here!"

Try as I might, I can't get loose or even get a bit of leverage. Then it happens. It starts slow at first, with her boots, creeping up until it gets to her legs, then the boots and legs look like they are part of one thing, but it doesn't stop there. The metal keeps going up, past her thighs, past her belly, past her breasts, over her arms and shoulders . . . then, finally going over her head. All the while she was screaming in pain as it happened. The last thing she said before it finally consumed her body was, "Sonic!"

Then just before her head is competently transformed, a single tear emerges from her eye. The glistening pearl slowly crawls down her cheek. It twitters and shakes and runs down the bridge of her nose. The gleaming jewel of life hangs on the edge of her nose and hangs like a spider on the edge of its string. Then it falls. As if it were the atom bomb on Hiroshima, everything seems to slow down. The tear then smashes on the concrete floor. I feel a crushing pain go through my heart, like an arrow into the soul.

"Ah, isn't she beautiful? A work of art if I do say so myself." He gloated, the glass opened up and out walked Sally, no, a robot with sally's face, but not her eyes. Huh? Last time she didn't look like this, was there a last time?

"Robotnik!" Tears where streaming down my face, "You will pay! I don't know how or even when, but I will make you pay with your life!" The hate and anger were rolling off me as tsunamis during a hurricane; and, to tell you the truth, it scared even me. I've never in my life ever felt this way, and I didn't like it.

"I think not, rodent. Since you'll be my slave for the rest of your existence, I doubt you'll have even the thought of taking my life." Sally then walked up to stand next to him. "Now, if you would be a dear, my lovely princess, and show him to his place?"

She came up to me, and stood before me. Suddenly her face changed, her eyes. I don't know why, but they felt the same just now, sure they were robot eyes, but they where hers.

"Sonic, I'm sorry." Her voice had a bit of a metallic reverberation to it. "Forgive me."

It was then that she punched me, hard, so hard that all the air rushed from me. The bots holding me up let go and then I'm on the floor curled up in a fetal position and trying to gasp for air. But it burns, just to try and breath in. That was nothing to what my heart felt at that moment, and what was left of it was shattering.

Sally then picks me up by my neck, I finally at this point get some air in my lungs, grabbing her arm with both my hands.

"Sal," I say hoarsely, my voice dry and weak.

She walks me over to the Robotizer, and throws me into the chamber, it closes before I could do anything, like I could at this point. She then puts her hand on the glass and there were her eyes again. They where sad, and tears were flowing out of them.

"Please forgive me, Sonic." I knew, it wasn't her that put me in here, she was not willing in anyway.

The only thing I could say to her was: "I do, and I love you." I say as I put my hand on the glass where hers is.

"I love you too." She said to me.

"How sweet, young love." Robotnik made a show with his hands and gave fluttering eyes, before they went cold and angry. "It makes me sick."

And with that he pushed the button and it began, but much faster for me, as it would seem. But no less painful from what Sally must have gone though. It hurt, oh yes, it hurt a lot. I think I was screaming, but I couldn't hear it over the machine. Or was that myself? I couldn't tell at this point.

It felt like forever, but it must have taken seconds, just as suddenly as it started it was over, the chamber opened up and I walked out, but not of my own free will. It was gone, I couldn't will my self to do anything.

It was then that I noticed Robotnik holding a person sized mirror.

"I must say, you are rather dashing, don't you think?" Then I saw it, or rather me, I was fully robotized. Maybe it was the horror of it all, but I though I saw my self falling to my knees, looking at my hands and body, and then my self in the mirror. All the while his laughter was just growing. I saw him, at that moment I saw him, but again like before something was wrong, why does this feel wrong, I then noticed something, his shadow, since win did it have that horn and claw?

I didn't have time to think as the shadow got darker and started to consume everything in the room. Once the room was done, it came for me, and it came fast. It came much too fast for me to do anything. I felt like I was dying. It was the only way to explain it: the laughing, it was drilling into my head so deep that it hurt. It hurt! It hurt so much! Make it stop!

Central Tower

Level 4

Robotization & Detention Level

"Ah!" Sonic jolted awake,

"what a nightmare."

"Oh, trust me, your nightmare has just only begin," A nasually high pitched voice spoke up.

Sonic's eyes snapped open, a look of dread on his face.

"Sonic!" Sally shouted to him, looking around, he noticed where he was and then a sudden realization sunk in.

"No." Sonic said to himself.

A minute earlier

I felt as if I'd been hit by a SWATbot, it may as well have been. I was coming around the bend when I heard him.

"Welcome back, Princess Sally."

" Huh? What?" I muttered as my eys slowly opened as the room started to come into focus, it's then that I notice that my arms and legs felt restrained. The sudden fear made my adrenalin spike and I finally got a good look at where I was.

It looked like I was strapped down by my arms and legs to a chair in what looked like the robotizer.

I struggled, trying to break free of the bonds.

"Now, now, no need to worry, my dear, I'm just here to help give you a makeover."A nasauly voice cackled as the shadowy figure stepped into the light.

"Snively! How did you survive, where's Robotnik?"

I look around the room half expecting to see the Overlander himself, and hoping that he wasn't alive.

"Sadly, old Uncle Julian is no longer with us,"

Uncle Julian? Okay, Robotnik must be dead because he would never call him by his real name, not without fear of getting punished.

"I have to thank you. If not for you and Sonic, I would have never been able to make my own power grab."

Wonderful, just wonderful. From one dictator to another. Why can't we get a break? But what is he going to do to us now? Suddenly I heard a noise coming form the corner of the room. Why didn't I see it before?

Central Tower

Level 4

Robotization & Detention Level

present

"Ah!" Sonic jolted awake, "What a nightmare."

"Oh trust me, your nightmare has yet to begin," Snively spoke to Sonic.

Sonic's eyes snapped open, a look of dread on his face.

"Sonic!" I shouted to him.

He looked around noticing where he was and then sudden realization sunk in.

"No." Sonic said to himself, he's not the only one not liking this, "Oh, God, no."

I finally noticed the restraints the two SWATbots had on him. His feet where cuffed which were held in place with a length of bar that kept him from moving his feet. His arms where being held by the bots.

"Oh, yes." What is with him? He takes over for less then a day and he's gloating almost as badly as his uncle. "But as much as I want to savor this moment, I'm afraid that I must cut it short. I'm not like the fat guy. You see . . . I'm worse."

It was then that Snively walked to the control panel, he pushed a button and I knew I was in huge trouble.

"Sonic!" I screamed trying to break out of the restraints.

"Hang on, Sal" he said as he struggled to free himself from the bots vice-like grip.

I knew he was trying. So was I. However, as much as we tried, we couldn't get loose. Tears started to well up in my eyes. We were not getting out of this. Oh, God, we spent the last 10 years running, then fighting Robotnik's hold on our world, we finally are free of him and now . . . now this?

Now we were being beaten by his assistant. If the situation wasn't so dire, I'd almost laugh because of how pathetic it was . . . it was actually funny. It would seem that we all underestimated Snively and now we are paying the price for it.

"Now, my dear, it's time to say goodbye to your free will. I hope you enjoyed the time you've had 'till now."

He then pushed another button on the machine.

"Sally! No!" Sonic shouted.

I saw the tears streaming from his eyes, the look of fear and horror on his face. I bet I must have had the same look as him, but I didn't have to guess about the tears in my eyes.

I could feel them rolling down my cheeks.

"Sonic---I---Ahhhhhhhh!"

Then I felt it. It started in my hands and feet, I look down and see that both my arms and legs where turning into metal from my fur and flesh.

"Ah, ah, ah . . . ah!" It was slow at first and crawled up in sudden, short bursts once the metal went past my elbows and knees. It got worse, it started up again and this time it didn't stop.

"Sally!"

Sonic was really starting to struggle and the bots where starting to have a hard time keeping their claws on him. I could hardly see though the pain and tears. I felt everything. It was unbearable! This must have been what Uncle Chuck and Bunnie went though. The metal soon had crawled to the end of my limbs. It was unbelievable. My arms had felt like they where being picked apart, As if my open wounds where stomped on and then salt was rubbed in them.

Now it started to feel like fire, fire that burned though me, As if molten metal had consumed my body and wrapped it with agony.

The metal had started to go up past my waist, it was at this point something really felt bad, like someone took out my guts, burning hellfire coursing through my abdomen and up into my chest. I couldn't possibly describe it, it was beyond comprehension. Then the progression started at my midriff and kept going past my chest. Each breast felt like hot glob of molten rock and metal and as the burning intensified. I screamed in agony, my eyes went wide with shock as tears flowed steadily down my cheeks as the metal went up my neck.

Then it was at this point that I heard another noise, I think it was my voice, but it sounded wrong, as if the tone had changed."S.L.A.V.E SYSTEM STAND BY" it said.

Then the screaming stopped and my vision changed, it went dark then a second later everything was in a red hue. The pain had finally stopped. I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but I couldn't, I physically couldn't.

It was over, but then I noticed something. I could see and hear, but I couldn't move, even when the chair let me go. Then I got up and walked over to Snively, His lips curled into a cruel smile.

I noticed that I wasn't the one that was doing the walking. I was trying to make myself stop, or at least punch him with my new metal fist and hope that I bash some teeth into his skull.

It was like, I could feel still, but the feeling was wrong. I felt myself come to a stop.

"Snively!" I looked over to Sonic. I could see the tears in his eyes were slowing down and being replaced with something else. It was rage, hate, anger, maybe something else, I couldn't tell for sure. He looked even worse then how I felt.

"I swear Im gonna make you pay for this!"

"Oh, don't worry, Sonic, you will be joining her very soon. Isn't that right my dear?"

He turned to me, What I felt next disqusted me to no end as I felt my face form into a smile as I looked to Snively.

"Yes, sir." It was my voice, my voice in perfect pitch and tone.

"won't it be great Sonic? We'll still be together."

I felt a chill run through my very soul. There was no other way to say it. It was absolutely cold. It wasn't me, but it sounded perfectly like me, but it definitely wasn't me. Sonic's face was that of pure shock, pure and utter shock. I knew how he felt at that moment.

"Would you like to do the honors, Princess?"

I turned to look at him, no it wasn't me, it was whatever programming that was put in me.

"I'd love to." I walked up to Sonic and put a hand on his chin and he flinched away from my touch, I grabed his face, forcing him to stare into eyes

"Don't worry, it will all be over soon, and let me tell you, it feels wonderful."

Wonderful? It was anything but wonderful! Whatever this programming is, it would have made me sick to my stomach if I still had one, but the sick feeling was conflicting with some kind of artificial joy, it was completely wrong. Still I know I was struggling, I know I was doing something at least.

"Strap him into the chair,"

I let go of his face and walk back to the control panel and begin to push some buttons, whatever I'm doing, I can't exactly tell.

"I'm sure you'll love it, I know I will when you join me, you're going to look absolutely beautiful."

Where is all this dialog coming from? It's like whatever Snively did to me, he added something that was twisting my feelings and thoughts, and doing the worst thing out of all options. Sonic continued to put up a fight, I'm sure he knows that I'm is still in here, and he knows that I wouldn't just let whatever this thing was to control me, and he is right. I am pushing, I can feel it. I can tell there is something here holding me in a wrapping as best I can describe it.

"Come on Sal," he shouted, looking directly into my eyes, "you're better then this! You can fight it!" He then shouted at the top of his lungs, tears stream down his face, "Please, Sally, I love you too much to lose you now!"

Oh God! I stop struggling for only a second, but then I redouble my efforts. I am not going to let this happen, not now, not like this! Damn you, Snively, It will not end like this! I'm pushing back with all my heart and will, as they put him in the chair and start to remove the bar on his feet.

"You're wasting your breath, rodent." Snively said, his face sneering "Now, my dear, if you would be so kind as to deliver the coup de grace and . . . huh?" It was then that he noticed that I wasn't making a move. My finger was hovering over the activation switch.

"What are you waiting for?" He yelled with increasing anger in his voice. "Activate the robotizer! I command you!"

"Yes, it's working!" I thought to myself, as I contiuned to resist the program's control.

"Yes, sir," my voice spoke up, "It would seem I might need to run a diagnostic scan later."

Then with much effort, my finger went down on the button.

" No, no, no, no, no no! Whatever you are, I won't let you do this!" I mentally screamed, struggling with all that I could to resist it.

But it was all for not it would seem as the button was pushed, then I heard it: Sonic was screaming, it was happening to him too. I have to stop this, I have no choice but to stop this, I can't let this go on!

Suddenly the lights started to flicker and the Robotizer stopped the metal going past no further then his elbows and knees, it would seem that whatever was holding me was distracted and looked at the light.

"What is going on now?!" Snively yelled, just long enough of a distraction for me to get my only shot, I lifted my right arm high, and prayed to Heaven that I'd hit.

*Thonk!* "Bull's-eye!"I mentally shouted as my fist smashed though the control console. Then my body's control is wrenched from me again, but it feels like its grip has been lessened by a furlong.

"Way to go, Sal!" Sonic shouted not at me, but to me directly.

" Thanks Sonic but we're not done yet." I thought.

Snively, turned his head anger and confusion etched on his face .

"What did you just-" He never finished what he was saying when the door suddenly colapsed to the floor as both Bunnie and Rotor came rushing in.

Bunnie didn't stop to look at anything, she just ran up to the SWATbots and punched one,taking it's head clean off. The other one barely had time to react when she kicked and then extended her leg until it smashed into the bot, putting a foot size hole though the it's chest.

"Oh, no!" Rotor looked at me then Sonic, his shock was evident.

Bunnie looked at us when she pulled her leg back to its normal length.

"Sally girl! Sugar hog!" Her shock didn't last long, because it went from shock to hate and anger faster then Sonic coming in for dinner on 'Chilly Dog Night'.

"You!" she hissed at the diminitive overlander.

She saw Snively and went straight for him, her metal fist pulled back and ready to fire. _"Go Bunnie!" _I mentally shouted.

However, much to Bunnie's horror, and my own, I stopped the blow with the palm of my fist as if it was nothing, just inches from his face. Snively took advantage of the moment and ran to a panel near the wall next to the Robotizer controls, pushed a few buttons, and a diamond glass wall shielded himself from the rest of us.

"Princess Sally, deal with them, then when you are done, kill the hedgehog!" He shouted before hitting a button and the wall behind him opened and rotated him and the panel into another room.

"With pleasure, sir!" My voice had malice in it, but it wasn't from me.

That's when I grabbed Bunnie's arm and threw her into Rotor. Both fell to the ground and slid a good foot and a half before stopping.

I turned to Sonic. He was pulling with everything he had to get out of the chair, but the restraints were too strong. I felt my face go into a scowl, but it felt different this time then before. Like I could feel more of it, a lot more of it.

"Such a shame it had to come to this Sonic, really, I was hoping to have you with me, we could have done so much for Master Snively together." I said as I walked to Sonic, my right hand twitched and my fingers turned into long sharp claws that I knew would turn him into lunch meat.

"Sal, fight it! You have to fight it, just like Uncle Chuck, you just did so when you smashed the computer." Sonic yelled trying to appeal to me. I let out a choked mental sob as, my body continued to walk towards him, my metal claws twitching violently.

" Oh god, please help me!", I whimpered as my mind continued to resist. The strain was so bad that I felt like I could pass out at any moment; but I wouldn't give up, for Sonic's sake, I could not give up!

"Good bye Sonic, I'll be sure to shed a tear for your loss." I said as I stepped on the platform, I raised my right arm and pointed all my figures/claws at Sonic's head.

It was all I could do to hold it back. It was like imaging myself putting all my very being into holding back, keeping my arm from going forward. It must have been working because Sonic in my view was still alive, I looked at my arm and I could see it shaking. It was then I felt it again, the thing in me was fighting for control. I think I was giving it a hard time because my face went from a Scowl to out right annoyance.

"Now what are you-" I heard it's voice speak to me, but it was stopped by Bunnie and Rotor grabbing me.

They both dragged me back and Bunnie slammed me on to the ground hard.

I let out gurnt as Bunnie pinned my shoulders to the ground with Rotor trying to hold my lower body with his weight.

"Sonic, Aunt Sally!" I heard Tails run in and I saw him looking at me with more fear then I've ever seen in him.

"Tails, get back here and stop dis foolishness." Antoine came running up behind Tails.

Just then Antoine noticed me as I picked up both Bunnie and Rotor and chucked them near the door. Both of them where scared out of their minds as they stood there just staring at me. Bunnie and Rotor got up again and rushed at me, both taking the training from years of fighting to heart and doing their best to hold me down again.

"Antoine! Get over here and help us! We can't hold her by our selves." Rotor yelled while trying to keep leverage on me.

"Mua?" After a short hesitation, Antoine then hurried over to us, and tried to do a sleeper hold from behind me. "Forgive me, Princess!"

_"It is not like there's anything to forgive in the first place. This is all Snively's doing"_. I thought to myself.

"Tails, get Sonic out of that chair!" Rotor shouted, struggling to keep his grip as I thrashed about.

Tails blinked a few times then nodded, running for Sonic. It was when Tails started to get the restraints off that things went from bad to worse, it (since I don't know what else to call it) threw everyone off my body, and just as Tails got one of sonic's hands loose.

It then ran in and grabbed him by the neck.

"Aunt Sally! Why....*gasp*.. are you ....hurting ...me?! Please..*gasp*... stop!" I could see the fear in Tails' eyes as I was starting to choke him.

He grabbed at my fingers of my left hand, trying to get out of my grip, desperate for air. I couldn't take this! This has to stop now, please! I'm throwing every fiber of my very being into trying to stop myself from killing Tails. Even so much as to beg it to stop. As if responding to my plea, it spoke out, it's voice filled with hate and rage,

"YOU INSIGNIFICAT WELP, CRUSH THE VERY LIFE OUT OF YOU!" It screamed in tail's face .

It was then everyone started to pile on me, desperately trying to pry my arm off of him as I continued to tighten my grip on his neck, I couldn't stand this. Here I was, being forced to watch as I choked the life out of the child I practically raised as my own.

_"NO, please stop this!"_ I pleaded.

It wouldn't listen to me. My grip became tighter as Tails' breathing became shallower. I had to push even harder. For Tails' sake, I had to give it everything I had left. The strain on my mind was unbearable, but I felt the grip loosen some, but not near enough. It was fighting back with me. The strain on my mind was becoming too much just as I felt myself begin to feel what little control I had gained slip from me. Then out of nowhere, I was struck from behind on the back of my head. It's enough for me to jar it and give me control long enough again let go of Tails, part of me was revealed that he fell on his two tails coughing trying to get his breath back.

I turn around and I see Sonic out of the chair. "Sally, you have to got fight it, you have to. For the love of God, you almost killed Tails! He's practically your son."

That was it. I don't know how it happened next, but I felt it slipping. I was getting more ground back and hard. It wouldn't go without a fight, grabbing my head with both hands and my claws in my right hand retracted, I was growling and yelling.

"No, I must do as Master Snively says." "Like hell I do!" Wait was that me? "His word is law, I must obey." "NOT on my life!" My body twitched and spasmed as it began to lose control of my body's motor functions, I slammed down to the ground thrashing and flailing about. All through this I saw their faces, my friends where frozen with fear. Tails trembled behind Bunnie both of them with tears in there eyes.

"Oh, my god" Bunnie choked out as she held Tails tight, the frightened child looked away, sobbing into Bunnie's shoulder as my inner battle continued.

Antoine and Rotor only faired a little better as they watched in horror. They simply stood there transfixed on the scene unfolding before them, their eyes wide clearly disturbed by what they were seeing.

Finally my vision focused on Sonic he was on his knees, a single tear running down his face, metallic hands outstretched as if trying to reach out to me. He was saying something to me, but at that point all I could hear was the metallic warbled screams as it continued to lose control. I was winning somehow, pushing it back.

"I am not able to lose, I am superior to you!" It screamed out at me.

"You're nothing, just something he put in my head." I lift myself to my knees, as our argument intensifies.

"This can not be, you can not defy the Master!" Its shouted, Its voice a mix of fear and shock.

"Just watch me!" I shouted defiantly.

It was then that I put my hands on the ground and then slammed my head into the steel floor.

"Wait! What are you doing!?" It shrieked.

"Getting rid of you anyway I can." I said though my teeth as I hit my head on the floor again.

"T-his is nn-ot." And again, "N-o-o, you mm-u-st." and again, "STTO-O-OP TH-I-SSS!" and again. "PLEEEE-eeE-EES-SSSSE!"

With one final slam to the floor, it suddenly went silent. The pressure in my head suddenly disappeared as I slowly lifted my head up from the massive indent I had created in the metal floor. I then slumped down on my side. I am so exhausted. My vision changes, I don't see everything in red anymore, it all looks like it used to, but . . . I don't know. There's small text scrolling across in the corner of my vision, but I'm too tired to care. I simply lay there, motionless.

I felt someone roll me on my back, I looked up to I see Sonic and the others staring down at me. Everyone but Bunnie and Tails.

"Sally, talk to me, are you okay?" he asked me, as I slowly held up my left hand.

"Oh God, S-s-sonic?" I said weakly. my whole body seemed to ache.

I felt sonic reach out and grasp my hand.

"Shush, now, it's ok, Sal, it's going to be ok" He said, his voice was comforting but had a hint of underlying sadness.

"Wha-what happened?" I shuttered as I tried to move, my arms and legs felt like lead, it took all my strength just to lift my head as my vision began to clear.

"Sal, just lie still, please." Sonic said, the urgency in his voice rising.

It was then that I could see him clearly now. He smiled down at me, but I could see in his eyes the sadness that was behind them.

It was then that I heard the sound of sniffling, I turned my head slightly to see tails peaking from behind Bunnie.

"Tails?" I said, surprised by the mettalic echo in my voice.

Ignoring it, I spoke up again.

"What's wrong?"

He turned his face away, hugging Bunnie tightly

"Don't let it hurt me." He whimpered.

"W-what? But . . . I . . ." I stuttered out.

It was then that my mind began to piece together what had happened, "The detention level . . . me and sonic where . . . oh."

I began to shudder as the memories began to flood back to me. "Oh God . . ." I stuttered again as I felt my body begin to shake. I looked back at Sonic, tears began to flow down my face.

"Sonic I . . . I . . . I almost . . ." He pulled me closer and embraced me.

"Don't, Sal, just don't," he said as he held me tight, "it wasn't your fault, Sally, that wasn't you." He said as he tried to comfort me.

My body was continuing to shake as I weakly returned his embrace. It all became so clear now: the robotization, the fight, nearly killing Sonic, strangling tails. It was all too much, as I finally broke down and cried uncontrollably into Sonic's shoulder.

"Hush, now," He said, stroking the back of my head.

"it's gonna be ok." He whispered to me, over and over and he held me close. I continued to cry, holding him tight as if I would die if I let go.

"I . . . it.... was like a nightmare, a nightmare I couldn't wake up from." I whimpered.

I tried to hold on to Sonic's body, the shaking was getting worse and I felt sick. Even though I know I'm probably like Uncle Chuck now and all metal, I felt like I was going to reach the contents of my stomach.

"It's over Sal, don't worry, it's all over."

As comforting as those words where, I couldn't help but think that this was just the beginning of things to come.

_"Robotnik never came this close to hurting us, not like this."_I thought to myself fear coursing through me.

I then heard Rotor getting up and walking to the machine.

"NICOLE, start downloading everything on this thing." Rotor said as he plugged NICOLE into the secondary console to the robotizer.

"Order accepted. Coping all data to current robotizer model."

I don't know why, but I thought I could hear some sort of sadness in her voice. It may have just been the stress of the situation. "All data retrieved. Do you wish for the test data as well?"

"Yes, everything about it. Logs, scans, everything." Rotor spoke as he rummaged in his backpack pulling out tools.

"R-Rotor? *sniff* What are you doing?" Sonic looked over his shoulder at where I was seeing the walrus start to beat open panels and pull hatches.

"Taking this apart and taking what we can back with us. Then destroy the rest."

A part of me was bemiring with pride, it was something I would have wanted him to do in the first place if it wasn't me that was robotized. It was then that I heard some kind of beeping. It was coming from me. I start to feel even more tired then before, but continued to hold on to Sonic, looking down at his now metallic hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I whispered over and over in between sobs as consciousness was beginning to slip from me,

"so . . . tired. I just need to . . . "

Then I later learned that I slipped into stasis lock. My voice slowed down and drop in pitch, my eye's closed. I felt good then, like I was dreaming.

Suddenly a very ghostly voice, echoed in my sub-consciousness mind, but it sounded so calm, soothing, and yet familiar as if I had heard it long ago.

"Oh Sally, I'm so proud of you."

_What was that_?

**PART 2**

Chuck and the others had rushed in as fast as they could, but the sight that greeted them was something they hoped they wouldn't see. Sally was fully robotized, and Sonic had metallic arms and legs.

"Sally? Wake up Sal, stay with me here." Sonic tried to shake her awake with some panic in his voice fearing the worst.

Chuck ran up to the now metal princess that Sonic was holding, even without having to look very hard, he could tell she was just in a stasis lock.

"Sonic, don't worry, she's just out cold. We'll have to make a stop at my hideout and pick up a few things so we can bring her out of it back in Knothole." Sonic looked at his uncle like he just slapped him in the face over the suffering that Sally went though. "We can mourn later. Right now we have to worry about ourselves and getting Sally as well as you to safety."

He was right, it hurt, but he was right and Sonic understood.

"Hey guys! We don't have much time and this can go a lot faster if someone would help me a bit." Rotor complained as he was trying to pull boards and chips out and salvage what he could.

"Oh, right." Chuck realized what Rotor was doing, "Antoine, help Sonic get Sally ready for transport. You three help me take that thing apart." The three other mobains just nodded and ran by, but getting a glance at the Princess and Sonic as they passed.

Snively was pissed, but he wasn't in an uncontrollable rage, he was right now going back to the prototype room with a squad of SWATbots. As he continued his assistant SWATbot turned a corner and saw them coming his way.

"Trouble sir?" He asked while Snively just storms past him in a huff.

"Hmm guess so" he said to himself as he followed behind his master.

It would be another three minutes before they got to the room, only to find it empty of any Freedom Fighters, also the Prototype Robotizer was stripped down and what wasn't taken was smashed beyond repair, the computer was also in a similar state, and strangely, there was a rather large dent in the floor, and a blood spot here or there.

"Hal?" Snively spoke up not looking away from the mess.

"Sir?" The aforementioned bot responded.

"Have the production of SWATbot replacements moved up on the time table, and make sure they have the upgraded AI's, also make sure that the power rerouting is also the first priority. Pull any SWATbots as needed to complete the task by the end of this week."

"Yes sir, anything else?"

"Make sure to gather the test data from the back up server on the Princess' and hedgehog's Robotization and a report ready for me by tomorrow at the latest. And have someone clean up this mess." he said as he went and waved a hand to the room.

"Yes sir," The bot saluted as the Overlander walked passed. "You units."

The SWATbot squad turned to Hal. "Follow me, you have a new assignment."

Knothole

Rotor's Lab a few hours later.

"Okay, now let's go attach the supplement power to the input line." Rotor said as he looked into his magnifying glass that led into an open panel on Sally's head. Chuck was busy working with NICOLE on the other side putting in commands.

Suddenly Sally's eyes open up and her irises where filled with the blue/white light she had before she went into Stasis Lock.

"Huh?" Sally said, suddenly aware that she was awake. She tried to sit up, but found herself restrained as she was before. "What? Guys? What's going on?" She attempted to look around, but found that she was unable to move due to the restraints blaced on her head and body.

"Hold on, Sally," Uncle Chuck said, "we need to make sure that the inhibitor programming is gone; but until then we can't take a chance."

Sally looked to Chuck, calming down from the slight panic that had arisen within her from the initial shock.

She only noded in response.

"We're right now trying to isolate the program that you fought, but this thing is so different from what I had when I was Robotnik's slave, so we have to have you strapped down just in case it tries to take over again."

"Okay." She said timidly before Bunnie came up to her next to Chuck and put a hand on her arm.

"Don't worry, Sugar, we're all here for you." Sally slowly looked up to her friend and her warm smile.

The rabbit girl's gentle smile reassured her and made her calm down a bit more. Then a thought came to her.

"Bunnie, how's Tails?" The rabbit's face saddened some as she steadied herself.

"Physically, he's fit as a fiddle," she then sighed, "but the youngling is scared out of his wits. I had to practically let himself cry his little, old self to sleep before I could get him to let go. He's back in my hut, snug as a bug. I just hope he's not having any nightmares right now."

Bunnie looked out the window in the direction of the living huts everyone stays in. The feeling of relief was short lived. When she looked in areas she tried to see if Sonic was near by. When he saw no sight of him, her moment of joy passed.

"Where's Sonic?" Worry creeped into her voice.

"Sugar hog is in Rotor's living area with the lights off. I'm worried about him the most. He didn't say a single word on the way back and insisted that he carry you. When Ant tried to insist that he wasn't able to do that, I swear on my Great Grandma and Pappies' grave that I thought he was going to hurt Ant."

"Oh, beautiful." Sally's eyes had fear in them. "I've got to talk to him."

"Nu-uh Sally, He's hurting as it is. He needs time. Besides, you're in no position to help or say otherwise." Bunnie pointed to the straps. "But if it makes you feel any better, I'll talk to him. I kind of know how he feels and what he's going though."

A sad look as if something reminded Bunnie about a bad moment in her past, Sally could only nod in response. It was then that something else got their attention.

"Sacrebleu!" Antoine shouted.

"Dis iz un outrage! Dis iz not how you treat your Princess."

"Antoine! Shut it, will you? We have to do this!" Rotor countered.

"It iz no excuse! Dis iz e capital offensive: tree-zon!"

" _Okay, I can only take so much_." Sally thought.

"Antoine, stand down!" She shouted, the argument between the two ceased imediately.

"I appreciate your concern, but Rotor is right. Until we all know for sure that whatever it was isn't going to take me over again, we can't take any chances."

"Uh, eh . . . y . . . yes, my princess." He said.

Antoine bowed to her and kept his mouth shut. Rotor mumbled something about working in peace finally, but Sally ignored it. Really she was still more afraid then angry over the current situation she was in. Above all else she didn't want to lose her newly regained freedom of her body and hurt anyone else that had already been hurt like back in Robotopolis.

"Sally," Chuck spoke up, "I've been going over all the data and it seems that the Robotizer that was used on you and Sonic was something I've never seen before. It seems it was made to turn a mobain, or anything for that matter, into a weapon more powerful then anything that the original was ever capable of doing. It's the most frightening thing that I've ever seen in all my years."

Chuck then sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?" Bunnie asked Chuck.

Sally however seemed a bit unnerved by this information, that she was just turned into a killing machine?

"I designed the robotizer as a medical tool to replaced broken body parts or to find ways to cure illness. But, this . . . this thing is a total perversion of what I was doing," Chuck just shook his head.

"With NICOLE and Rotor's help, we've discovered something: after pouring over the data off of Sonic's arms and legs and with your body as well, we think that whoever is robotized with this, for lack of a better term, Combat Robotizer, it will take the natural abilities of it's victims and uses those skills to the basis for it's weapons, tools, and abilities of the body. Sonic's speed is a perfect example, because from what I've seen of his feet, he's got some kind of boosters and hover system that, if I'm right, will make him faster then he's ever been before. Possibly do things he's never done before, if I dare say so."

The others where shocked by this information, but then no one could even think it was possible for Sonic to get any faster.

"My stars," Bunnie replay.

"That's not good news." Rotor said.

This caused most to begin thinking of possibilities of how this could make thing even harder on everyone; more so for those who would have to go and fight them and even more horrible would be what would happen if Sonic was fully robotized like Sally and didn't have his freewill.

Chuck continued with his explanation, "But we might be able to use this to our advantage. From scans that Nicole took when doing a more in depth look into your systems Sally, it would seem you have some kinds of computer hacking capability like NICOLE has, maybe even superior to hers."

"But vhat duz dis mean?" Antoine asked.

"It means, Antoine my boy, is that we can't get at the rid of the software from out here, but we might be able to do so from inside, or more precisely, you can, Sally."

"What? How am I supposed to do that?"

"As I stated before, your body has the ability to interface with other computers." Chuck said as he pulled out a long gray cable. "So what rotor and I have devised is that we will connect you with NICOLE. From there you will interface with her systems and she will guide you through what Rotor and I have decided to call a data dive."

"Wait, didn't Sally already kick this thing's metal arse back in Robotopolis? I mean, we did, right?"

Uncle Chuck just shook his head to Bunnie.

"Sorry, Bunnie, but Sally only thrust it back and possibly disabled it. It is still in her somewhere and we can't risk it coming back and attempting to coup Sally's mind. Given what you told me of your fight with her, this thing could subdue the entire village to be robotized, or worse yet, kill everyone outright.

At this Antoine fainted from that bit of news while Bunnie looked horrified. She covered her mouth as she gasped at the thought.

"Which is why it is absolutely imperative that we neutralize this program as soon as possible." Rotor said.

Chuck began to route a cable from NICOLE to Sally's arm, then a another set of cables from NICOLE and sally to a computer for each of them.

"Sally" Chuck sighed, "I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Most of this is only theoretical, so we won't know what will happen when you data dive or if it will even work, but it's the best we could think of in such short notice." He finished solemnly.

"But we might be able to at least monitor what you both see and possibly communicate, again, even that is theoretical at best."

Sally looked deep into Chuck's eyes. She then sighed and seemed to gather up her resolve.

"If this is the only way, I will take it. Like you said, the risk is too great at this point to let that thing linger any longer then we have to."

Chuck nodded to her as he inserted the cable.

"Well, here goes everything." He said, the tone in his voice somewhat shaky.

"Wait, before you do anything, let me make this clear: if this thing is taking over and nothing can stop it, don't hesitate to do what you have to do in order to stop it. I'm not worth it if it means that this thing can hurt you or anyone else in Knothole."

Chuck just holds her hand and gives a gentle squeeze. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that" He said as Rotor began to ready the system.

"Okay, NICOLE, you ready?" Rotor asked.

"Ready and waiting." She responded.

"Okay, starting system in three . . . two . . . one . . . go!" Rotor said as he hit a button on Sally's arm.

Sally stirred a little as she started to come out of the, well . . . she couldn't really say what it was, but it felt like going down the tree stump slide into Knothole, but with many more lights and much brighter and colorful. She sat up and then noticed her surroundings.

It was a room, a room in the style of a Princess in a castle. There were some toys here and there, including a rocking horse, a shelf with some books and a wardrobe that must have held clothes. And she was in a four posted bed complete with drapes that could enclose and shade a person from the rest of the room.

"This is . . . my . . . old room" She said with slight hint of confusion in her voice as she took it all in. "But how?"

She scooted to the left edge of the bed near some windows that were letting in light. A bright light that could be described as blinding, in that you couldn't see anything outside it but the light, however it wasn't so much that it would hurt your eyes.

"It is a digital representation of your subconscious mind." A voice echoed within the room, causing sally to yelp with surprise.

"Wha . . . who said that?" She said quickly as her eyes darted from one side of the room to the other.

"Behind you" The voice said in a monotone yet slightly exasperated tone. Sally turn around and was face to face with a lynx girl glowing with a slight purple aura. The closeness of her face to hers caused Sally to jump back in surprise and to fall off the bed. The lynx girl giggled a little as Sally had only her feet on the bed with the rest of her body on the floor.

"So this is humor and laughter. Quite infectious, but not unpleasant. That's very interesting." The girl said as she crawled to the edge and looked over the side at Sally with a smile.

Sally was not laughing. Instead she glared up at the lynx girl with an angry scowl as her hair bent over into her face. She breathes in and exhales hard to blow the hair out of her eyes.

"Who are you, and where am I?" Sally pointed to the Lynx girl, her finger resting on the unknown girl's noise.

"Why, Sally, I thought you'd recognize me after all this time. It's me Nicole." She said as she gently took Sally's finger and pointed it away from her.

"Nicole? Bu . . . wha . . . how is this possible?" Sally couldn't understand.

Nicole didn't have any kind of user interface _Avatar_ before, why now?

"I have one now because of you Sally?"

"Wait . . . I didn't . . ." She quickly backed up and sat on the floor with her back to the wall.

"---Say anything? You don't need to. I am linked into your robotic body's systems. I can in a way read your mind as you can read mine. '_Just like this.'_"

Sally only blinked, dumbfound as she heard the voice speak 'Just like this' without moving her lips. But what more is that she felt the voice more then heard it

"Uh . . . okay."

"_Hello? Can you two hear me?_ " Another voice echoed in the room Sally looked around and couldn't pinpoint the location.

"We read you, Charles." Nicole said without looking away from Sally. She then got off the bed and grabbed Sally's arm and lifted her up off the floor and on to her feet.

"Uncle Chuck?" Sally looking even more expecting him to show him self like Nicole. "Are you here too?"

"_Sorry to disappoint you for not making as grand of an entrance as NICOLE,_ " Rotor spoke up, "_but Chuck and I are only able to speak to you two via this headset though the computers we set up._"

She looked up to the roof, as if half-expecting their faces to show up. In some kind of divine, god-like manner and speaking to her the message. "I take it then this is that data dive you two talked about?"

"_Yes and no,_" Chuck spoke up, "_As far as I can say, it looks like you might be in a memory of your childhood._"

"_Oh, and we can see everything both you and Nicole are seeing._" Rotor then noted, "_Hey, Nicole? Where'd you get the idea for the Mobain body?_"

"From Sally." Sally looked to her A.I. companion in surprise.

"Me?" She pointed to her self.

"Yes, as I stated before, this place is a digital representation of your subconscious mind. The computer components took your memories and thoughts and gave them three-dimensional forms that are arranged in a very computer like manner, allowing me to interface with you. In fact, your OCPU went and devised this form for me the moment I entered your systems."

"_NICOLE? Don't you mean CPU?_ " Rotor asked over the com link.

"No, Sally has an OCPU, an Organic Computer (or Central) Processing Unit. Her Mobain brain is one of the only parts of her that is not been robotized.

"_Wait!_" Chuck spoke up this time. "_You mean to tell me that me that Sally's brain is still flesh and blood?_"

"Yes."

"But, why? I though the entire body was robotized and nothing was left." Sally spoke with shock.

"I can only theorize that by having access to a partially organic brain, it would allow whatever presence that was controlling Sally to operate an a higher rate of effectiveness, being that the mobain brain is in itself the most powerful type of CPU which is leaps and bounds over any kind of artificial CPU construct. Thus to enhance the CR combat capabilities, it would intentionally keep part of the victim (in this case being the brain) untouched by the robotization process to use it for its own devices, whatever that may be. In laymen's terms, by having access to an organic brain, this makes a CR extremely dangerous when being controlled by the SLAVE Engine, since it will be just as creative and unpredictable as a normal mobian. In fact, it is possible that a normal robian workerbot may also have an OCPU."

"_SLAVE Engine?_" Rotor said. "_Is that what was controlling Sally is called?_"

"Yes, I've discovered its name is called the 'Synaptic Labor Augmentation V_ariable_ Encryption Engine Software', or S.L.A.V.E. Engine Software.

"Wonderful, we have a name for it now." Sally sarcastically responded under her breath to herself, not knowing that everyone heard it.

"Sarcasm, another very interesting emotional thought pattern. I am finding this to be a rather educational experience." Nicole reacted.

Sally then looked at her with a rather red face full of embarrassment.

"_Uh, Sally? We all heard it._ " Chuck spoke up; if Sally could she figured she was as red as a beet.

"Sally, come, we have to find the SLAVE Engine and neutralize it," Nicole figured it would best to get to the matter at hand. Sally's face then took a serious look.

"And how do we do that?" Sally said.

As if responding to her answer, NICOLE simply raised her hand and pointed to the door of the digital room

"Through here." Nicole says.

"Here? But isn't this just.." Sally didn't have time to finish as NICOLE grabbed her left hand and positioned herself in front of the door.

She then turned the knob, opened it, and pulled Sally with her though the bright light. Sally momentarily was blinded by the sudden transition and soon found herself back in Knothole. Sally's eyes fluttered open her vision still partially blurred thanks to the sudden brightness from the light behind the door.

"Jeez, Nicole you could have at least warned me." She groaned as she rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry, Sally," Nicole said with a soft chuckle. "I am still new to this whole data dive thing, at least in this form of it."

Sally let out an exasperated sigh, "Well you aren't the only one."

As her vision began to clear, it was then that Sally began to take in her surroundings.

"Where in Knothole?" she said in a bewildered tone.

"Actually a digital representation based of which are on your memories, quite similar to your room." Nicole said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yeah, but looking at it now everything seems kind of . . . I dunno, slightly odd." Sally said as she took in her new environment.

The grass seemed to glow a bright, transparent neon green as it swayed in the wind. The trees where covered in strange lines and symbols that glowed with the same color as the grass. Even the sky was covered with the same strange outlines that pulsed a vibrant blue.

While aside from the aforementioned details, other aspects where instantly familiar including the small creek that ran through the village and the groups of huts and other dwellings all nestled together, under the protection of the massive trees. Indeed it was actually 'quite beautiful' Sally thought to herself as she looked around.

It was then that sally noticed Nicole had been staring at her for quite some time, her finger under her chin with a rather quizzical expression on her face.

"What is it?" Sally said her tone slightly confused at the computer turned lynx's quizzical stare.

"Interesting" Nicole said as she cocked her head from one side to the other as if she where trying to get a better look at something, "It seems that once that data dive commenced your form seems to have undergone an upgrade of some kind." she said with a rather awestruck tone.

"What are you talking about I look . . ." Sally didn't finish her sentence as she looked down at her body, or rather, her well developed body. "What in the?" she said as took in her new form, her body was covered with what she could tell was a skin tight jumpsuit. It to was covered with the strange lines that pulsated a pale blue green. However it wasn't the jumpsuit that caught her attention, but rather the fine contours of her body, she was slightly taller then she previously remembered, and her chest was certainly larger then before.

"It seems you appear to be slightly older then your previous form, and quite . . . well . . . how shall I say . . . voluptuous." Nicole said with a slight chuckle.

It was then that sally shot Nicole a stink eye that cause the lynx girl to turn away and stifle a small chuckle.

"Nicole, this is serious." She said, worryingly. "I don't even know how . . ."

It was then that a thought crossed Sally's mind. What did her face look like? As if to answer her own question, she made her way down the grassy hill towards the stream with Nicole following right behind her. Hesitantly she knelled down in front of the stream and looked at the image reflecting of the digital water.

"Oh my . . ." She said in awe as she looked at her new, or more precisely, older face.

Her hair was now past her shoulders and was a bright, vibrant scarlet. The contours of her face were similar to her previous one, only slightly more womanly and delicate. Her eyes were a bright blue that seemed to shine like finely made sapphires. If Sally had been concerned about trivial matters as her looks, she would have had to say that she was quite beautiful.

"Wow." She said timidly as she felt her face with her hands.

She turned to look at Nicole.

"How is this possible?"

"I don't know, Sally. I don't have enough information to even draw a conclusion to speculate." The lynx said. "But we can discuses this later. We need to find the data hubs and from there we can start a search for the SLAVE Engine and get rid of it."

"Right," Sally said getting back up and walking to NICOLE. "Where do we start?"

NICOLE closed her eyes and seemed to be focus on something. She then opened her eyes and pointed to what would be the north wall with the elevator in and out of Knothole.

"That way is the best way that I can determine from here." Nicole says.

Nicole brings her chin down and turns to Sally. Sally returns a ready smile and they both turn in the direction that Nicole has indicated that they should travel. As they begin to move, they quickly halt their movements and stand still. The undoubted presence of an unknown person has grabbed both of their attentions.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Came an oddly child-like voice from behind them.

Both Nicole and Sally then turned around to see a little child, a child that looked like Sally was when she was five and wearing the exact same outfit that Sally hadn't seen since she was a child or when she met herself when she went back in time. She was playing with a ball, chasing it as it rolled around, the whole while she was giggling.

"_Whoa, is that you, Sally?_" Rotor said over the com.

"No, silly, I'm Princess Sally. My daddy is the king." She continued to chase the ball until the ball made a sudden turn and made its way towards Sally. It then hit the toe of her boot and came to a stop. The child slowly came up and stopped about four feet from Sally. From there she looked up at Sally and smiled happily.

"Hi there, pretty lady! Hey, you look just like my mommy! You're so pretty. I hope to be as pretty as you someday." The child said, twirling her dress and looking up at Sally.

The child then stopped moving and looked at the ball. Sally looked down at the ball then picked it up. Sally then threw it back to the child. The ball hit the ground halfway between her and the child. The child jumped up and caught the ball as it began to sail over her head.

"Thank you, pretty lady." The child then started to throw the ball in the air and catching it over and over.

"You said we shouldn't go that way." Sally pointed behind herself with her thumb. "Is there a reason?

The child caught the ball and stopped smiling. She then looked to the two of them and had the look of fear and sadness drawn all over her face.

"There's a very scary monster that way." She then looked to the floor with tears on the verge of coming out. "It hurt my friends."

Sally and Nicole looked at each other and Nicole nodded as to answer an unspoken question. Sally then walked up to her child-like self and knelt down to her level before she embraced the child. The child had a look of surprise but then dropped the ball in her hands and returned the hug by holding on to the grownup Sally's neck. The child then started to cry into Sally's shoulder.

Sally then placed a hand on the kid's bottom and then picked her up. She continued to let the child cry.

"The . . . m-m-monster . . . *hic* . . . hu-hurt me too." She said through her clenched shut mouth.

The tears started to come out, they glowed brighter then even the area around them. The tears would hit the ground and the group would give off a kind of ripple then a strange symbol would show then fade away.

"Hush now," Sally shook her gently and started to pet her red air, "it's going to be okay, don't worry."

Meanwhile, back in the real world

"Wow, that is so eerie," Rotor said, looking at the scene of his friend holding a child version of herself that was currently crying on her shoulder. However, he was also shocked to see Sally in such a mature form. She is so beautiful it was stunning.

"I know, Rotor. You all don't know just how much this reminds me of the time when Sally-girl was younger. That time before Robotnik took over, she got hurt when she scraped her knees and her ma comforted her." Bunnie said watching the scene unfold before them.

"My God," Uncle Chuck said, this whole time staying quite once he saw NICOLE's view of Sally once she stepped out of the room and into the recreation of Knothole.

"She looks just like her."

"What?" The other two turned to the Elderly Robotized Hedgehog.

"Her mother, Queen Alicia Acorn, it's unbelievable."

"What's unbelievable?" A voice came from behind.

Everyone turned around to see Sonic in between the doorway that lead to Rotor's living area. How Sonic was able to get there without a sound with his new robotized feet was beyond them, but for now it was good to see him not mopping for the time being.

"Sonic." Chuck began, but Bunnie cut him off.

"You two better keep an eye on that." She pointed with her arm. The other two turned around to see that Sally was starting to talk again to the little version of herself.

"Sugar hog, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, what's going on?" His curiosity was getting the better of him, but Bunnie felt it was better to help keep his mind off some things.

"You have to see this, Sonic." She waved him over. He obeyed and walked over to Bunnie to stand next to her as they watched the computer monitors.

"You are not going to believe what you are seeing."

He was going to ask why Sally wasn't moving and why she was hooked up with wires, but the urgency in Bunnie's voice made Sonic decide to ask later. Sonic finally got to see the view from Sally and Nicole and to say he was shocked by the little version of Sally with what looked like her mom was an understatement.

"Why are we watching Sally with her mom?" Sonic asked the Rabbit.

" That's not her mom. That's Sally with her younger self."

Sonic looked to Bunnie as if she had grown a 2nd and 3rd head at the same time all of a sudden. She knew that a quick explanation was in order.

"Okay, from what I understand, it's like this."

Back inside Sally's mind

Sally had finally gotten her younger self to stop crying so much and she felt infinitely better all of a sudden. Her younger self then sniffed a few more times.

"You feel any better?," Sally asked her, to which the girl just nodded.

"Now why don't you tell use about this monster? Maybe we can do something about it."

"Okay . . . it is this big, nasty wolf-thing. It came out from woods out there." She pointed out into the distance in which they were headed.

"It came at me and my friends a few days ago while we where playing here in our home."

"Where are your friends?" Nicole asked the child.

"They're all hiding. They won't come out until it's gone."

"I see." Nicole responded. "Can you show us this wolf thing? So we can know what to look out for?"

The child just nodded to her as she sniffled one last time as she jumped from Sally's arms and motioned for them to follow her.

She then took them to the big Oak tree with the planning room, and climbed to one of the lookout levels just below the tree line. There all three could see the entirety of Knothole and that's when they say it.

It was a wolf like thing, alright, but its body looked like geometric shapes that floated in air and where arranged to take a form of a wolf. The head and tail were the two biggest differences to any kind of wolf.

The head was a round sphere with several rings around that. The neck was a tube that floated between the body and head, but the most prominent things were also the triangle wedges that lay flat on the sides with the pointed ends aimed at what must be a single red eye that gave Sally and Nicole the chills from just looking at it. The tail looked like it was a whip with a claw at the end. It too also had some kind of red eye like thing between the three claw like end talons.

And the fact that Nicole felt fear from this thing unnerved her, but she decided to suppress this and focus on what to do next. She held her hand up and suddenly little bits of what looked like ones and zeros combined into little lights and then those lights started to collect in her hand to form a binocular with a very technological look to it.

Nicole then looked though them and at the beast, her view of it started to bring up information about the thing she was looking at, scanning the creature.

"Nicole, is that the SLAVE Engine?" Sally asked from her perch, where she was at.

"No, it's a low level watchdog subroutine, but it must have been created by the SLAVE engine software to watch the main ins and outs between areas and the data sectors."

"Can we get past it?" Sally watched as the thing began to walk back and forth patrolling the elevator's area.

"Negative. Even though I could disable or delete it, any action on our part could alert the main software kernel. We can't do anything without tipping our hand, so to speak."

"Blast . . . Say," Sally looked to the child, "do you know of any other ways out of here?"

"Yes, but . . ." The child then stopped mid way in her answer as her eyes bugged out and ran to the edge of the rail wall and peeked over to see something. Suddenly the elevator began to move and the wolf thing responded by looking at the activity.

A basket came down and in it was a humanoid shape. However it was like the wolf creature, shapes in the form of something humanoid, and it too had a head like the wolf.

"Is that another one of those subroutines you mentioned earlier?" Sally said as she gawked at the biped creature as it approached the equally bizarre wolf creature.

"Hmm . . . possibility" Nicole said hesitantly as she continued to monitor the subroutines as they began to exchange data of some kind between each other.

"Looks like its a stronger variant and it seems to be uploading data to the smaller one as well".

Sally looked over as the two programs finished their data exchange. The strange lines on their bodies glowed a vibrant red.

"Any idea about what kind of data they would be uploading to each other?" Sally said as she looked over to Nicole who was now in deep thought.

"I cant say with complete certainty, but perhaps our back door data dive wasn't as stealthy as we had once thought" She said worryingly.

"It would certainly explain the reason for the appearance of this second guard program, thus the S.L.A.V.E might be stepping up its security because it may have detected us."

"That's all we need now" Sally said with frustration. "Not only do we need to get pass these things undetected, but we'll have to deal with possibly increased security in other areas as well"

She then sighed as she looked out over the guard program.

"While that is a possibility, we should both focus on the task at hand, namely finding an alternative access control to this sector." Nicole said as she turned her attention back to the patrolling subroutines.

It was then that Sally remembered something.

"Princess?" she said to her younger self, who had been watching the programs along with Nicole.

"Hmm?" The child said as she turned her attention to towards her older self.

"You said earlier that you knew of a way past the monsters, right?" She said as she knelled down to the little girl's level.

The young princess simply nodded, but her eyes still held a worried look from before.

"Uh huh, but what if the monsters get us?" She whimpered quietly.

Sally gave a soft smile and took the little girl's hand into her own.

"I promise I won't let any of the monsters hurt you. Ok?" She said reassuringly.

"But I need you to be a brave girl and help me and my friend. Can you do that, sweetheart?"

The young girl looked up at sally, her confidence returning, thanks to those reassuring words.

"Ok, follow me" She said as she eagerly climbed down the great oak tree with Nicole and Sally following behind.

After backtracking through the forest, they had arrived at the location the little princess had led them to.

"This is the Tree Stump Slide." Sally said as she and Nicole walked up to young Sally, the little girl beaming with pride.

"Yep. This should help you get by the monsters now." She said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you, you did a very good job leading us here, sweetie." Sally said as she frazzled the child's hair, which made the child giggle with delight.

Nicole looked on at the scene before her, a small smile formed on her face.

"_I don't think I have ever seen Sally smile like that in a long time_" She thought to herself,

"_Has this child reminded Sally of something she had lost so long ago?" _

Suddenly the sounds of a rustling leaves caught Nicole's attention. Her eyes darted around in attempt to pinpoint the sound's source.

"Sally, something has followed us here." She said her tone deadly serious.

"Do you know where?" Sally whispered in return while positioning herself into a battle stance.

"Not yet . . . just..... wait!" Nicole shouted.

"Over there, by the bushes!"

Both Sally and Nicole now stood ready, as whatever had been tracking them came closer, leaves and grass shaking in its wake.

"Is it a monster?" Young Sally spoke her voice shaking with fear.

"Just stay behind me, Princess" Sally said to the child, who nodded in reply as she hid behind her.

It was then that the sound suddenly stopped, as if what ever had been approaching them had vanished.

"Nicole?" Sally asked with a inquisitive yet confused tone.

"Whatever it is, I can still sense it." Nicole responded, as she experienced a new sensation, unease. "It's possible that it might be analyzing us, waiting to see what we do."

As the lynx stopped speaking her eyes darted back and forth, expecting an attack from anywhere and hoping to stop a sneak attack before it begins.

Suddenly, from out of the bushes came a soft green glow, like a giant eye staring at the trio, from the darkness.

"Get ready!" Sally shouted.

Both she and the digital lynx braced themselves for an immanent attack. It was then that young Sally walked in front of the two. Her face did not show fear but was rather quizzical.

"Princess," Sally shouted at her younger self, "what are you doing?"

The child ignored her shouts as she continued to stare at the green light, her eyes squinting as she tried to see past the darkness.

It was then that the silence was broken by the sound of a high pitched beep, followed by two shorter beeps. The look on young Sally's face went from surprised to a ecstatic.

"Doggie!" She shouted happily.

"Doggie?" Both Sally and Nicole said in unison as they looked at each other, clearly confused by this recent turn of events.

The source of the green glow then emerged from the bushes allowing all three to get a good look at what had been following them. To both Sally and Nicole, the 'Doggie' as young Sally had put it, looked like a beach ball-sized sphere covered in strange geometric lines and symbols, it's color a jet black similar to the SLAVE subroutines that they had seen earlier. The real key difference, however, was that instead of pulsing with a bright crimson red. It glowed a vibrant neon green.

"Nicole? What is that?" Sally asked not taking her eyes off the subroutine.

"I think it is a Slave subroutine, but my scans are coming back as a system defense program that is registered to you." Nicole said looking to Sally.

"What?" Sally said.

Suddenly there was a massive amount of giggling and laughing as the younger Sally was on her back with the program rubbing it's self on her, leaving a trail of out of focus waves that then changed back to normal.

"Is it licking her?" Sally asked watching the scene, suddenly the ball turned to Sally, turned it's head a bit to the right like a pet dog would do. Then suddenly it rushed her, "AHHH!"

The child Sally just giggled as the older Sally tired to push the thing off her while it left a trail of virtual licks on her.

"I think it likes you." Nicole said watching with surprise as the program was definitely acting like a dog.

"Get...it...off...me!" Sally said between licks. The younger Sally came up to 'Doggie' and tried to pull it off.

"Come on silly, leave her alone." Nicole then decided to come and help the younger Sally and grabbed the program off Sally, it kept trying to keep it off. The Program then turned to look at Nicole and beeped a few times.

Nicole's eyes suddenly went wide as the program jump on her and started to lick her.

"ACK!" It was Sally's turn to laugh as she watched her virtual friend struggling with the overly friendly nature of the program.

"_Nicole, can you copy that program?_" Chuck said. "_I think we might want to have a look at it later._"

"All...right! A little help?" The younger Sally then came up and pull the program off Nicole.

"Thank you." She said to child in an exasperated tone, as she got of the ground dusting herself off.

"I guess you were right Nicole, he certainly is friendly." Sally giggled as the digital lynx gave the princess a slight glare.

With a flick of her wrist, a swirl of data flowed into the palm of her hand and combined into what a normal view would have seen as a digital camera.

"What's that?" The younger sally said, both her and the dog like program cocking their heads to the right.

Nicole smiled at the child

"I just wanna get a picture is all." As she raised the camera to her eyes to get a better focus on the little princess and the program. "Now Smile and say 'Robotnik Stinks!'"

"Okay," The princess smiled. "Robotnik Stinks!"

And with a quick flash, she took the picture of the pair. Young sally rubbed her eyes a little due to the flash, while the subroutine shifted from left to right in a quizzical manner.

"_Data collection complete_." Nicole thought to herself as the camera de-digitized back into her hand. Nicole then turned to sally and nods to her, acknowledging that she had collected the necessary data, Sally nodded back.

"We should probably move on to the main hub while we are still undetected" The lynx said.

Sally looked down, a worrying look on her face as if a realization dawned on her.

"Nicole?" she asked as her companion looked on. "What will happen to her once we leave, won't she be in danger from the other subroutines?" she asked.

Nicole let out a sigh.

"Sally," She said her tone turning serious once more.

"She isn't real, she simply represents a facet of your personality, bits of memory and data, nothing more."

The younger Sally spoke up just then, "Don't worry about us, Doggie will protect me. Won't you boy?"

The program beeped a few times, Nicole looked to the program as if it said something to her.

"Are you sure?" Sally asked her younger version.

The little girl just nodded her head, "I can go to my friends, they like to have Doggie around. Besides, the monsters can't get to us where we hide."

Sally knelled down to her younger self, she took a good look at the child, her eyes, "so innocent" she mused to herself, a representation of the childhood she had lost so long ago.

She then embraced the little princess.

"Thank you little one, for everything you've done for us." as the child happily returned the embrace. "Thank you for helping me too." Sally thought to herself, as she continued to hug the child, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"It will be okay....goodbye." She said with a smile and with that, the younger version of Sally changed into light and then the light exploded out wards and then back into Sally as if her body was absorbing the little one. The program was also fading and disappearing, gave out a few more beeps to Nicole and with that was gone.

Sally stood up and turned to Nicole, she then wiped her face of the tear and walked up to the slide.

"Come on, let's go." Sally said.

Nicole nodded and then walked up to the slide, it was at this point that both of them changed into balls of light that then

Data Field

It was amazing, the whole world was just a huge infinite space of lights, data, orbs where data would flow in and flow out. And every so often, strange objects going between places of these orbs. The entire thing just gave a total sence of awe, there was no other way to put it.

"Wow, Nicole, is this how you see things?" Sally asked her fellow form of ball light.

"In a way, this is more complex then what I am normally used to." Nicole said.

Rotor's Lab

"Wow, you two don't know just how exciting this is for me," Rotor said, "This is like something out of one of those stories from the Ancients."

"Tell me about it Rotor," Chuck said as well. "I've never in my wildest dreams figure that my invention would lead to something like this."

"*siff* Poor Sally girl." Bunnie said as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "I always knew she was hurtin inside, but nothin like this."

Sonic looked away from the monitor and back to sally's motionless form on the table.

"Why would she keep all that bottled up inside her uncle Chuck?" he said worryingly. Chuck turned away from the monitor and looked at his nephew, knowing how helpless he must have been feeling at the moment.

"Listen sonic," he said with a sign. "Knowing Sally, she probably didn't want any of us to worry about her"

"But..." Sonic started but was interrupted as chuck continued.

"I'm not saying it was the right thing for her to do, but Sally has always been like that, placing the needs of other before herself" chuck said, his voice firm, but still supportive.

Sonic looked down at the floor his face bearing a look of shame. "It's all my fault, uncle chuck if I had just reacted fast enough she wouldn't be like this."

"Son, don't go there." Chuck said. "I am just as at fault, more so since I helped developed the Robotisizer, those first few years like this under Robotnik's control......I drove my mind to the braking point with regreat. I had to move on or I wouldn't have survived."

Sonic looked up to his uncle, sighing he admited defeat, "And blaming my self won't get me my limbs back or Sally her body."

Chuck nodded. "All we can do is make the best of what we got right now, and even if things are looking bleak, we do have hope still."

Sonic felt a bit better hearing that, but he took solus in the fact that Sally was giving it her all, and even if he couldn't be in there to help her, he could be out here to support here in anyway he could should the time come.

It was then that Antone came out of his faint again, and asked what happened, after a quick batter from Sonic about his stamina, Sonic and Bunnie started to fill him in on what was happening.

Data Field

"Nicole, just how are we navigating all this," the ball of light Sally asked. "I'm having a hard time trying to understand all this, much less figure out where we are going and how we're going there."

"It is nearly impossible for me to explain the mechanics behind all this. Even I am having a hard time tying to fully comprehend all this being at the level of complexity and depth that is your mind. I never knew just how beautiful the organic CPU is, that is from an architectural standpoint.

Sally looked to her fellow ball of light, even though she couldn't see any kind of facial expressions and knew she might not be able to show any, she could tell from the way Nicole sounded that she was impressed just as herself.

Suddenly Nicole took a sudden dive and Sally was going to ask what was wrong when she felt a huge tug and was pulled down with Nicole, just as a huge geometric structure passed overhead.

It looked almost like one of the floating trash barges that Robotnik had, but the color was very well off, it looked black with blue lines all over, and had Sally's family crest on it.

"NICOLE! What is that?!" Sally looked with a bit of panic at what nearly hit them.

"I don't know Sally, I think it may have been a defense program or some kind of massive file move. I can not scan it in this form for some reason, again, I am also not familiar with this system and its setup."

For the time being, the explanation would have to stand as is, they still had to get to the main data hub and locate the Slave engine software, and finally remove it or kill it. As they traveled, they noticed something on the virtual horizon.

"Nicole, is that what I think it is?" Sally asked as she saw it coming into view.

"It's Robotopolis and Mobiutopus." Nicole said identifying the city floating in the digital aether, and it looked very much like the city Sally spent her early childhood in, or half of it anyways. Half of it looked rundown and ruined, the city from which Robotnik had taken over and left the world with in ruin when he died. But the other half was the city that was before Robotnik's take over. Clean, pristine, beautiful.

"How are we going to get in there?" Sally asked looking around in her light form.

"There are several gateways into the city it would seem." Nicole said looking as many of the data lines group together, "Let me see which one is best to go."

Nicole navigated, with Sally close by, to one such gateway and lighting like threads sprouted from her light form and onto one such gateway.

"_LADIES! Behind you!_" Chuck shouted into the line, Looking behind them they noticed another one of those big ships, but this time it didn't look as friendly as the one from before, it had the same Black and Red color geometric shapes as a Slave unit, and what looked like turrets where starting to point in their directions.

"NICOLE!" Sally shouted to her.

"I'm on it, Give me a second." Nicole said as the lighting from her started to move about the gateway much faster then before.

"We don't have a second." Sally said as what looked like lights form the turrets as if they were getting ready to fire.

"I got it! HURRY!" Nicole shouted to her friend as the gateway opened up to a bright light and both ran in just as the ship fired, all but one shot missed, that shot hit the gateway and caused it to glow and then shutdown.

Unknown location within city's dark half

The street was deserted, dirty, and dead; the alleyway had wind blow though causing a few loose pieces of paper to flap in the light breeze. The still was however interrupted as a door sudden opens up next to a trash pile, the light pouring out of the door's pure white light was only broken by two shapes flying out of it. Both where the shape of mobians, one a lynx and the other a chipmunk and both female, Nicole and Sally got up off the floor after being slightly groggy by the sudden transition.

"My God, does it ever get any easier?" Sally complained more then questioned.

"I don't know, that was not a picnic for me as well Sally." Nicole replayed to the rhetorical statement. "Right now it might be more prudent to determine our current situation."

"Right," Sally spoke looking upon the all to familiar area of devastation they where in, it was then that Sally noticed something about the area, more importaly a cirten landmark next to them. "Say, isn't this your old hot dog stand Chuck? Chuck? Rotor?"

"That's strange," Nicole said as she closed her eyes. "I can't seem to detect the com-connection from the others."

The sudden loss of comuncations didn't sit well with Sally.

"_...*static*.....uys, do you.....er us?_" Said the broken voice of Rotor to the two of them.

"Rotor? We can barely hear you? What's going on?" Sally looked to the sky as if half-expecting that would help.

"_...........wait a.........how ab..........is it working now?_" Rotor's voice came back asking.

"Yes Rotor, we are reciving you now." Nicole responded.

"_Oh thank goodness," He said with a bit of relief. "We lost you for a second there the moment you entered that gateway. But uncle Chuck and my self are having a hard time trying to keep the connection with you two. Something in that area is trying to interfere or out right block the singles._"

"Can you tell what it is Rotor?" Sally asked.

"_No, what ever it is is preventing me from getting any kind of clear picture. Right now the only thing we can see, hear, and respond to is you two. If you could pardon the pun, we're flying blind out here._"

"He's right Sally," Nicole spoke up, "Something is also blinding my senses outside of my form. I can not seem to get beyond an area of about 3 feet in front of us."

"_This isn't good._" Chuck said. "_You two need to get out of there and into a safer area. At least until we know what to do and what's going on in there. Nicole, didn't you say that gateway should have sent you into the more pristine area?_"

"Yes Sir Charles, however I am re-checking my information, and it would seem that we may have been diverted." Nicole replaied.

"Diverted? By the SLAVE engine, or that ship?" Sally ask with concern.

"Unknown, but it is a strong possibility that may be the case."

"_I don't like this guys._ " Rotor spoke up "_Something is up here and-_"

But before he could finish what he was saying a light shined down on the two, a bright flash blinding the them. Sally squinted, her eyes barely able to make out the source of the light.

"What in the..." she yelled out just before a massive explosion detonated a few feet in front of them at the mouth of the ally, the concussive force hurled the two into an opposing wall with a resounding thud at a turn in the alley.

Sally groaned as she tried to lift her self off the street, her vision blurred and distorted. _"*static*..Sa....ly....what...hap...end ar..*static*..you....a....ight?!" _Rotor shouted the signal was even more distorted then before, and even if it was clear Sally wouldn't have been able to hear it anyways due to the massive ringing in her ears caused by the explosion. Sally looked to her right to see Nicole laying face down in the street, completely still. With slight panic, she crawled over to the lynx girl and shook her firmly.

"Nicole" she said as she began to fear the worst.

"uuuhhggh." the digital lynx groaned as she began to stir, which relived sally greatly.

"This... must be.... what pain.... feels like, I have to say I find it ...most .... unpleasant, a very effective warning system." Nicole said as sally slowly helped her to her feet.

Just then the same blinding light shown down upon them. While still holding on to Nicole, Sally looked up to see the same type of ship they had seen earlier, its turrets still emitting smoke from its last shoot, its large form hovering menacingly over them.

Suddenly two forms landed near the mouth of the alley, the shapes the same forms as the subroutine as the one they saw back in the Knothole replica. Sally didn't think twice as she moved with Nicole and supported her weight on her own, limping as fast as they could down the alleyway.

They just turned the corner when the Slave units started to fire at them, chips of rock flew near them as Sally and Nicole made for the nearest escape.

"Nicole, are you okay?" Sally said as they limped out into the open, Sally looked left and right trying to see for the nearest cover they could get to. Seeing nothing but the ruined store fronts, Sally made for the left hoping to find one of the buildings open to hide in.

"I am functional, but my mobility seems to have been damaged significantly." Nicole said with a pained face.

"Can you reach the others?" She asked still moving, getting to a corner and making a turn, down another street trying to put distance between her self and the units.

"Negative, it seems we are cut off, I can't get past the interference." Nicole said as she helped look in directions to get away.

Suddenly the Units turned the corner and begain to fire on them, each shot would have been dead on had a strange energy bubble with hexagon like panels got between them and possible doom.

"What?" Sally stopped in surprise for a second.

"I'm putting up a barrier, keep going Sally." Nicole's face held a strained look to it, and Sally just kept going as more shots kept hitting the barrier, the princess noticed the looks of stress the lynx had with each hit to the shield.

Just when it looked like they could duck into one of the stores for cover hope to lose them in the maze that is the buildings insides, another large blast hit a few feet before them, instently taking out Nicole's shield and exposing them. Eight more units from the ship above them jumped down and surrounded them in a full circle as the first two came up. All of them rased their claws, opened with the middle what Sally and Nicole could guess where it's weapons system, all charging to fire on them.

"Sally, it has been a pleasure and honor severing you, my friend." Sally looked to the AI.

"We're not done yet." Sally responded, but in reality, 'I can't let it end like this' Sally thought to herself her expression one of fear and desperation as the SLAVE units' arms glowed brighter, ready to fire. Sally, closed her eyes, bracing herself for the coming blast.

'I so sorry everyone,' she thought to herself.

*Zeehoom* The sound was then followed by more of it's kind as Sally and Nicole looked up to see the air unit taking hits from lines of blue and causing the ship to explode.

"GET DOWN!" Sally didn't think twice as she did so, listening to the voice which sounded like her own in a way almost by reflex, suddenly the units around here where peppered by more shots of white, blue, and green. Six of the eight units falling pray to the fire.

The other four where more lucky then their breathern, and began to fire over the heads of Sally and Nicole, walking backwards it would seem to get away from the attackers, or savoiurs.

There was the grunt and yell of someone getting hit, then falling to the ground, but more offten it would seem that the shots where bad aim or hitting armor since Sally saw three forms rush past them. They had shields and held them to the fire of the units, swords made of energy drawn and ready to strike.

Their full body armor covering from head to toe didn't seem to restrict there movement, but what took Sally and Nicoles attention was one of the three who's armor seemed more, well....flashy if you could put it that way.

However what Sally and Nicole could tell about the three without a doubt was that all of them where female in shape, the two identical soldiers where finshing off one of the six units that was trying to get back up, but the one that caught their attention was rushing in using her energy sword to quickly and cleanly finsh off the other 4 as if they where nothing.

Not a single one was able to get a shot or strike with their claws in before they where taken down, so when all the units where finshed, the warrior who was ovousely the leader of the group turned to Sally and Nicole.

She put her sword away into its sheath and walked up to the two, and put her hand out to offer her assistance.

"Are you two alright?" Sally noticed the voice as hers, a little more authoritative, but still hers.

"Uh...yes." Sally said as she accepted the hand and was pulled up with Nicole still hanging on to her.

Both Sally and nicole looked at each other, neither one quite sure if they should be trusting this armor clad warrior or her soilders, then again, in the shape they where in they wouldnt last much longer on thier own.

"Just a minute." Sally spoke up as the warrior was walking towards the portal.

"What is it?" the armored woman said, her voice holding a hint of annoyance.

"Who are you?" Sally said at the armor clad warrior standing before her.

"That's not important, right now, what is important is that my battalion was able to intercept those vile beasts before you and your companion here where deleted" The armored woman said in a direct manner.

Sally and Nicole looked around themselves as various armor clad soldiers, each of them carrying out orders, securing positions, tending to wounded or finishing of any stragglers that remained active in the area

"Listen up!" the armored woman who sally had now assumed was their leader said "I want a secure perimeter set up within 15 minutes or less, and I want the teleporter equipment set up ASAP".

Sally was starting to get annoyed now, sure she was grateful that who ever these women were, where able to save them from the SLAVE ambush, but now, here she was being totally left in the dark as this leader of theirs barked orders left and right, totally ignoring her question.

"Well, we need to get you two out of here and into a more secure location, even if we hold this place now." The leader turned to some others setting up some kind of device on the ground. "How's the relay coming?"

"We're almost done, just a few more seconds." One of the armored females said in Sally's voice, Sally kept wondering why all of them have her voice.

The device then came to life and a beam of energy shot up into the sky and connected with what looked like a kind of grid, as more lines then started to converge on to the original line. Finally a large door of light opens up and out poured more foot troops with ground and air units on the back of transports coming out.

"Once you have the area's secured, report back to me and then get the next stage of operations ready."

"Yes Ma'am." The soldier saluted and went back to her work.

"Okay, come along." The leader said herding Sally and Nicole into the portal.

Castle Acorn, Great Hall

The Great Hall of Castle Acorn was a buzz with activity as planers where going back and fourth between stations, some moving supplies and the like. Some where taking others where a medical station was. It was so surreal, Sally couldn't really explain it or fully understand it.

"How? How is all this possible." Sally asked dumbfounded.

"I think your friend said it best, but before we explain anything to you need to see our medical." The one that saved them said from behind them. Nicole has been quite this whole time just absorbing it all, so she wouldn't have seen the warrior taking her helmet off, Sally on the other hand.......

"Wha, but, you....you look," Sally summered.

"Like you?" She said as she took her helmet off and let her red hair flow past it's shoulder lenth, her face having the same mature look as Sally's current form, you could tell there was more to her. She held a aura of authority with her imposing hight over the others. "Come, we best get you two patched up and meet with the others."

"R..right, Nicole?" The program only now looking at Sally with wide eyes.

"I never knew," She spoke at first with total awe. "Just how complex the organic mind truly is, or what its capabilities truly are."

"Yeah," Sally said as she put Nicole's arm over her shoulder and started to follow the leader that looked like her. "We can admire it later, right now lets do as she said and get our selves patched up." Nicole simply noded as (what sally had decided to call her) the agressive sally lead the way down to the makeshift metaical quarters.

Castle Acorn

Medical quarters

Sally and Nicole's eyes wided with shock as they large room, the whole area packed full with dozens of sallies most where on makeshift beds and gurnies as various nurses and doctors ran back and forth tending to thier patients to the best of thier abilities.

Agressive sally looked out towards at her wounded commrades, a hint of sadness in her eyes."As you can see the battle hasn't been going well. We have been able to hold this position, but at this rate..." she trailed off as she looked to the ground worringly

Just then a slight cry let out as one of the sallys laying proped up against the wall sobed in pain "It hurts.." she wimpered as she clutched her cheast,3 huge gashes where raked across her armored torso.

Upon hearing the soldier's whimper, a sally wearing all white knelled over to her, laying her hand gently upon her gaping wound."It will be ok, sweetheart" she said in a serene and gentle voice as a soft blue glow eminated from her hand and slowly down to the soldier's chest.

Sally watched in amazement as the wound closed up, the once wounded sally leting out a deep sigh of relief "thank you" she said meekly as the sally in white smiled warmly at her.

"Your welcome, now why don't you rest for a little bit ok?"she said as she place her hand on the side of the soldier sally's face in a conforting manner, her voice soft and kindly.

The soldier noded as she closed her eyes as slowly drifted off to sleep, a pieceful smile on her face.

The sally in white got off the ground as she looked down, her expression calm and loving, content in the fact that she helped ease her pain. It was then that she noticed Sally and Nicole staring at her.

"Oh my, I appologize, I didn't notice you standing there" the sally in white said timidly as she walked up to the two of them.

Upon intitial observation this sally was very differnt from the others in the room. For one her hair was done up in a ponytail, it's leagth running past her shoulders down to her face, much like all the other sallies where identical to her own, though this one seemed to always have a gentle smile on her white dress came down to her knees and had the same geometric patterns that most objects had in the data field only her's had gold triming rather then the usual blue and red sally had been seeing as of also wore a pair of boots similar to the sally's with the only real difference was that they were white and had flat soles more suited for simply walking then for combat missions.

The sally in white bowed to the two politely."It's a pleasure to meet you" she said softly.

Sally and Nicole stood thier for a moment, still somewhat taken back by the gentle nature of this version of herself."Um thank you. sally said as she helped nicole over to one of the vaccant beds in the room.

The sally in white(who sally had now decided to call commpassionate sally) came over to nicole's side, her face going from her usual smile to concerned frown."Oh my, you poor thing" compassionate sally said as she layed her hand on nicole's head gently stroking her hair.

Nicole didnt know why, but something about this sally, her gentle touch and her soothing voice, made her instantly feel safe, knowing now that she was in good hands.

A blue aura eminated from compassionate sally's hands as she placed them gently on Nicole's abdomen"This shouldnt hurt a bit" she said as a wave of energy passed though the lynx's body.

In a flash the blue glow dissappeared, leaving Nicole completely bewilderd as she sat up from the bed. "The pain, its completely gone" she said, her tone both grateful and a bit shocked.

Compassionate sally simply smiled"Im glad I was able to help" she said as she gently coaxed sally to take her place on the bed to begin treating her wounds.

Sally layed down on the same bed that nicole had been previously using, still amazed by how fast she was able to treat her digital companion.

"How are you able to heal people so quickly?" sally asked as her compassionate version who just smiled at her"The power of healing comes from the heart that understands and cares for another" she said simply as her hands glowed once more as she treated sally's injuries, leaving sally somewhat confused by her cryptic answer.

Sally got off of the table, feeling much better, as compassionate looked on"There you go, good as new." she said with a soft chuckle.

"Thank you for treating us" both Sally and Nicole said in unison as they smiled, thankful to have been healed so quickly and thuroghly.

Compassionalte sally looked down her face blushing as she placed her hand to her face trying to hide her now red face"Oh theres no need to thank me, I was more then happy to help" she said, embaressed by the both of thier complements.

Both sally and Nicole looked around the room, now able to take a look at the large number of injured soilders being treated as more wounded poured in.

"So do you handle all these patients?" Nicole asked Compassionate sally, concern in her voice.

Compassionate sally looked around towards the soldiers, a small but visible frown on her face. "not all of them, but as of late most of the healers have been overwhelmed, It a struggle just to keep everything up and running" she said sadly.

"Im sorry to hear that" Sally said sadly.

Compassionate sally shook her head"Theres no need to dispair, now that you have arived this whole dreedful afair will be over with soon" she said as she gently smiled.

Just then a loud slam caught the three's attention as a soldier stumbled out of one of the entrences, her helmet missing, and her armor somewhat disorganized, her hair was particularly frazled as well.

"I..I think I have to report to the general", she stuttred as she tried to re adjust her armor, her face red with embarassment.

A suductive feminate voice echoed from the doorway" Already?.humph fine, run along then." the voice said in a bored, yet annoyed tone.

The soilder scrabbled of quickly as Sally and nicole looked on, completely confused as to what was going on "_Now what?_" sally thought to herself as she heard the echoing of footsteps coming from the doorway.

As if to answer her question, a lone female figure stepped out into the room, again she looked just like sally but this one was completely diffrent from any of the ones the two had seen before. For one she wore no kind of clothing, save for a pair of black High heeled boots that had geometric blue lines runing down the sides, and both of her ear's were pierced, gold rings adorning them. Her hair was a deeper red then the other sally's and was wild and loose as it flowed down past her tail. Her face though was the most distingusing feature, for one she had a rather seductive look in her eyes and her red lips where curled into a confident smilk as she watched the soldier run off.

"Well that was fun" she said as she turned to walk back though the doorway, but suddenly stopped dead in her tracks when she saw both Sally and Nicole, staring in shock at the rather permiscuous woman.

The seductive sally was at first, wide eyed with suprise but then smiled impishly at the pair, who felt somewhat unerved as she slowly walked over to the two, her heels clicking across the hard stone floor.

"And what do we have here?" she said slowly as she came to a stop, a mere two feet in front of Sally and Nicole, placing her hands on her hips in a rather sudductive pose.

Unconfortable would have been the word to sum up how both Sally and Nicole were feeling at the moment as the sudductive sally stared at them like a predator about to pounce, while conpassionate sally gave a disaproving frown at the provacative squirrel.

"well are'nt you a precious little thing" she said seductively to nicole as she walked up to her and brushed aside a strain of hair from the lynx girl's face as she stared into her eyes.

Niocle was wide-eyed as she remained frozen with a mix of fear, aprehenstion, and embaressment as the seductive sally gently stroked the side of her face, giving her a playful wink.

"What do you think your doing?!" Sally shouted, clearly not liking the way this version of herself was treating her seductive sally simply looked over at her a wide eyed look on her face, but then suddenly gave sally the same impish smile she gave to nicole, which only made sally feel all the more unconfortable.

"Oh Im sorry, are you feeling jelious?" she said with a playful smirk as she looked over at sally.

Before sally could say anything, the suductive sally came up and embraced her in a hug, her hand rubbing against her back as she gently nuzzled against the side of her face, as the shocked princess froze up, blushing intensly.

In an instant sally pushed the provactive woman off of her, anger and embarassment coursing thourgh her " What is wrong with you?" she shouted as the Seductive sally looked at her with a rather annoyed look on her face as if insulted.

"Well excuse me for trying to show a little affection" she said in a huff as she crossed her arms, pouting slightly.

Sally looked at her with shock"Affection?! you where practicly about to" Just then the sudductive sally raised her finger waving it back and forth.

"Humph, don't flater yourself, your not my type. way to high strung." she said, a wirey smile on her face as Sally glared at her.

It was then that sally's compassionate side decided to speak up."Can't you see your making them feel unconfortable" she said meekly.

Her sudductive self turned her attention from sally to her compassionate side "Well it's not my fault that she's so straight laced" she said while rolling her eyes.

compassionate sally simply shook her head as she let out a small sigh"Not everyone aprecciates your kind of affection." she said as she looked at her counterpart disaprovingly.

The lustful sally, gave a seductive smirk"including you?" she said as she walked over to the timid woman, wrapping her arm around her back, stroking it softly.

Compassionate sally looked down at the ground, blushing furriously as she fiddled with her fingers."well...." she said hesitantly as sally and Nicole looked on, mouths agape.

"Just what are you?" Nicole said, clearly suprised that such a lustful, provacative person would be a part of sally's mind.

Lustfull sally just looked at the program with a small smirk"Im the part of your friend that she rarely lets loose unfortunately:" she said as she snuggled up against her compassionate counterpart, who only gave a embaressed smile.

Sally look over at her compassionate self."Your actually enjoying that?" she said, shock evident in her voice.

Compassionte sally looked up at the princess, a vibrant blush still on her face"Lust just has a diffrent way of showing you she cares, she's really quite a sweetheart" she said as lustfull sally looked at Both Sally and Nicole, her smirk growing into a grin.

Just then a voice called out across the room as all four turned thier attention to the door way" Are you quite done?, cause if you don't mind we have more pressing matters to attend to."

In the door way stood an other sally nearly identical to herself, but like the other three she had met previously, this one also was quite differnt in both looks and mannerisims.

For one she wore a type of dress suit that was a deep grey blue overlaped by a white labcoat, dark blue shoes completed the ensamble. Her hair was cut short very similar to sally's current style, though something about seemed abit more proffesional. Her face had a very serious look, further enhanced by a pair of glasses that she pushed up the brim of her nose as she walked over to them.

Lustfull sally gave the aproching sally a wily smile.

"Hello egghead, come to crash our little party?"she said to her in a condesending tone.

The sally in question only glared at the seductive woman as she shifted her gaze at compassionate sally.

" Are they both healed?" she said, quick and straignt to the point.

Compassionate sally nodded timidly"uh huh, good as new" she said with a smile.

The rather strict looking Sally looked at both Sally and Nicole, her expression never changing since she entered the room.

"You two are to follow me."

As she started to leave the room, the strict looking Sally noticed the other two just staring at her in wonder, she sighed and put forefinger and thumb on the bridge of her nose after pulling her glasses off with her other hand.

"I can just as well leave you here with lust to give a tour of the castle before she takes you to the war room if you wish." She said calmly.

"Ohhh, would you egghead?" Lustful sally said with a hint of excitement, the kind of excitement that made both girls jump and quickly to the strict one's side.

"Oh pooh, I guess it is just you and me for a bit."

Compassion leaned into Lustful Sally's body and touch, while Sally and Nicole left the room, both only turning to look back and commenting.

"I did not know you had such a wild side to you Sally." Nicole said commenting on the scene going before their retreating eyes.

"Neither did I." Sally responding to her friend about the situation with the two aspects of Sally as it unfolded while they where leaving with the well dressed strict Sally.

As the three of them walked though the hall way, a familar voice spoke up.

_"Finaly, hey you two." Rotor spoke up. _

_Sally in response said, "Where were you guys?" _

_Chuck took over at this point, "We just got the audio back up. What was that back there with two versions of you hugging?"_

Sally at this point stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes bugged out and her face almost went totaly red.

"Uh, how much did you guys see and hear?" She asked, as both Nicole and the more well dressed Sally stopped to look and listen to the conversation.

_"Not much, we saw the two versions of you in that hug, but couldn't hear much until the one you are with right now showed up and we only now got back the ablity to talk to you." Chuck said to Sally's question._

The well dressed Sally intergected. "Hmm, must have been a delay reaction of some kind, I guess Compassion might have underestmated the damage done to the both of you or was distracted from finshing the job and your coms with the others in the outside world was dealyed in repairs."

_"Well, even so, we're just lucky we where still able to moniter both your vitals as it where. We had a hard time trying to keep even that, I don't want to say just how much we had to do to get the picture back." _Rotor spoke up, but then there was a scuffling sound and some comments that where bearly heard but you could tell there was some yelling of some kind.

_"Yeah," Spoke up Sonic's Voice. "One item was opening up my arms and plugging a ton of cables into me for some reason."_

You could hear Rotor yell, _'give me that back.!'_ and then a shuffle of the mic._ "Sorry about that." _he said. "_We needed the extra CPU power at that point, anyways what's going on?_"

"All will be explained at the war room." The strict Sally said, "We don't have much time and it would be much easier if it is done with as little interruption as possible."

And with that the strict Sally got behind Sally and Nicole and started to push them in the desiered direction.

Map/War Room

A few minutes later.

Sally and Nicole could only marvel at the sights before them, there were several versions of Sallies standing around a round table. From Sally's Warrior spirit who was the leader of the armed forces out in the city, to her Intelligence taken the form of a proffessor like version compleate with glasses and dress, all the way to the twins, Sally's compassion and Lust, the latter by the way who was right now sticking uncomfortably close to Nicole and giving very telling looks.

Nicole was trying to keep her distance and stick close to her own Sally.

"So....." Sally started. "Anyone care to give an explanation?"

"_Yeah,_" Rotor spoke over the com, which had been fixed after Sally had been looked at compassionate sally as she was treating other Sallys wounded in the field. "_This is really confusing everyone here on our end too._"

"To put it simply for you and the others watching Rotor," The sally in the professor outfit(who sally had decided to designate as her Intelligence aspect) said.

"We are all fragmented aspects of Sally's mind, we each represent a peice of Sally. And to counter your argument, in this format we are more then bits of memory and data. That however is beyond the point of this meeting."

"Yes," The leader Sally said from her position at the table. "As you all may have seen, there is an inner war going on for control over your own body Sally, yes everything here you see is repesenttual of that is actually happening."

The Warrior Sally then nods to the Inteligence Sally who then waveed her hand over the table, suddenly a large holographic replcia of the city in real time was showing areas being taken and lost to the the Slave, as well as the oppsing forces gaining ground.

"As you can see by this, we've been able to put a halt to the advancement of the SLAVE engine's troops, but for each amount of territory we can control, we end up losing another to the enemy forces."

As if to highlight this, one area goes light wile another goes dark, then the Intelligence Sally waved her hand over the table and the scene changed to that of a dark tower that looked like a much Robotnik's main base, just much bigger, with thorn-like pylons coming out of the sides with a massive spire tower like structure at the top.

"Even with the measures we have in place all we are doing is delaying the inevitable of it regaining control of the main body. Which is why we had a plan that until now could not be fully implemented, however with you here we can bring that plan to fruition."

The Leadership/Warrior Sally took over at this point to help explain the plan. "It is with your help that we can take the attack to the head of the snake, the master SLAVE, instead of fighting it's body which isn't doing us much good what with what resources we can hold."

"The only major issue at this time however is our inability to locate the SLAVE engine. All attempts at capturing any subroutines for their codes have met with failure since the programs will not allow themselves to be captured when a damage threshold has been met, thus making all attempts futile." The Intelligence Sally said while she pushed her glasses closer to her eyes.

"_Whoa, this is so not good._" Rotor spoke over the com, then Chuck came in with his own comments.

"_There has to be some way, can't we on the outside help support your fight?_"

"Regrettably not," Said Inteligence Sally. "As appreciated as it would be, the situation is far more complicated then would allow or warrant."

At that moment Sally remebered. "DOGGIE! Nicole, the data you copied from Doggie!"

Nicole then fully understood what she ment and nodded. The A.I. then held out her right hand palm up and a glow of numbers and data turned into a the copy of the subroutine that the two had encountered earlier.

"Is that..." Inteligence Sally started to ask, a hint of suprise in her voice.

"Yes," Responded Nicole. "It is a fully functional Slave subroutine, albeit configured differently in that it is no longer hostile, it still has the core data needed for the task you want it to do."

Inteligence Sally then came around the table rather quickly to examine the data first hand. Looking at, she then turned to the leader. "We can use this, it is the only thing we need to get these two past the first few layers of security and fool the perimeter defenses"

"Good, do it. Come with me everyone." The leader then started to lead everyone out of the room when suddenly Sally felt her arm pulled, turning she saw lustful Sally holding on to her.

"You guys go on ahead, she'll meet up with you in a bit." She said as the others looked. "Don't worry it's not that, I just need to talk to her."

The Warrior Sally looked on them both.

"Make it quick."she said as she lead Nicole along to their desitantion.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Sally asked her lustful aspect.

"We need to talk, and this is a private conversation, sorry boys and girls, but you'll get her back after we're done." She said as she then put her right hand behind Sally's head and snapped her fingers.

Back in Rotor's lab Sally's Point of view suddenly went static, the others where just baffled by this, unable to say anything, and just had to wait until whatever conversation was done.

Back in the hallway, lustful Sally looked Sally full on and had a very serious look on her face.

"What are you doing? What did you just do to me?" Sally demanded as she felt disconnected from the others again.

"Don't worry, it's only temporary, at least until you meet back up with Nicole. Now we have something that needs to be taken care of." She said standing back arms crossed in a serious manner, unlike the way she held them before under her chest trying to enhance her already noticeable assets.

"What do you want this time? You going to berade me or something?" Sally asked, rather annoyed by this side of her taking control of the situation.

"Is it a crime just to have a little chat?" lustful sally said as she placed her hands on her hips.

Sally rolled her eyes "From what I've seen you probably have a lot more in mind" she said giving her lustful side a glare.

Her lustful side glared back" Hmph well then I guess I have you to thank for that" she said in an annoyed tone.

Sally raised an eyebrow at the woman's statement " And what's that suppose to mean?"

Lustfull sally let out a deep sigh "You had me bottled up for so long, that this is the first time I've had any kind of freedom, espcaily with Sonic that night.

"How do you--" Lustful sally just interupts the embearsed and very red Sally's response suddenly.

"We're both the same person remember? And besides, when this is all over you'll be all one person, not fragmented like we all are right now, and I'll be you again and when that happens I'm going to be more directed to Sonic like before. It's just in here there's not much I can do beyond keeping moral for some of the troops up as I possably can."

Sally just looks at her,confustion etched across her face, "Uhh, I suppose that sort of made sense."

"Yeah, well, thinking like egghead back there isn't my strong suit, but I do what I have to."

She then smilled at Sally and placed her hand on Sally's shoulder before contiuing.

"Look you're deicated and you're passitonate, you care about everyone, but you do so at the expese of yourself. Last night was the one time you let yourself be selfish, but that isn't a

bad thing, if anything it's good for your emtional health. I say this not because it's something you want to hear, but you need to understand. You're not alone out there, you have your

friends and they are pretty much your family."

Sally was taken back by the speach given to her by this side of herself, the wisdom felt a bit wrong, but yet it was the right thing for her to say to Sally

"Okay, I'll do what I have to., said as she turned to meet with nicole outside.

Just then Lustful sally grabbed her hand, causing sally to pause for a ussual smirk now replace with a small frown, her eyes showing concern.

"Sally, just be careful ok?" she said as she pulled her into a hug, not a playful suddective one but a geniune, loving one.

Sally returned her embrace"I promise I'll make it though this, so that we can both be with sonic again." she wispered.

Her lustful side looked up to sally, her eyes glistening.

"that would sure be nice" she said as she gave sally a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Lustful sally then broke off the embrace, wiping a tear from her eye.

She then gave a playful smirk

"Now you got me all teary eyed, how am I gonna keep up my reputation now?" she said with a chuckle.

Sally simply smiled back. as her lustful side gave her a wink as she turned and walked off into the castle.

Just then sally she heard a shout back in the castle.

"Sally!" her lustful side called back.

"Yeah?" she replied

" You better win out there or I'm never going to be able to see Sonic's Cute tush ever again!" she yelled back as she blew sally a kiss which only made the princess smirk and roll her eyes.

Outside Castle Acorn

Few moments later

"So in closing, that is why logically your argument about our existence is flawed when you didn't take into account the nature of the brain's psychological make up and defenses" Intelligentce Sally said to Nicole.

"I see, I understand now where Sally gets her intelligence from, you being her Intelligence aspect."

"Quite." Responded the ID to Nicole.

Just then Sally was walking out of the hall way that led to the war room, the bright sun highlighting all the aspects of the courtyard and how clean Mobotrolious was when she remembered. The ivory and cloud white of the walls and marble, it all brought back memories of the past in full force, however right now she had to focus on other things.

"_Finally,_" Chuck said over the coms. "_we got your single back Sally, you okay?_"

"I'm fine, nothing to worry about." Sally said.

"Good, because we've got much to say and very little time to say it in." The Warrior Sally, then walked up to Sally and pulled out a sword still in a sheath, then held it before Sally.

"As your Warrior Spirit, I have to know, are you ready for this mission you face? Are you ready to take this fight to it's end for those you love?"

Sally looked at the sword for a second, then to Nicole, then back to the sword and her Warrior Spirit. Sally's only response was to take the sword in hand while her Warrior Spirit held firm on the sheath.

"Yes." Sally finally spoke, and the warrior spirit let go of the sword and let Sally claim it, Sally then unsheathed the sword, it held a golden glow that seemed to be more intense the the light around coming from the virtual sun above them.

"Good, now remember what I have to say about the sword, only you are able to wield this sword, anyone else will only be harmed by it."

Sally nodded as she re-sheathed the sword and tied the belt on it around her waist.

"Now as for the plan, we have found a possible way into the tower thanks in part to the data you gave us." The Intelligence Sally said to both Nicole and Sally. "There is however a catch to it."

"What is it?" Sally asked.

Sewer ways to basement level entrance of S.L.A.V.E. Engine's HQ

The sound of laser fire and explostions echoed over head as Sally and nicole travesed the dank tunnels, a slight rubble here and there as the battle above intensified.

"Sound like it's started" Sally said to Nicole as they ploded thourgh the knee deep water towards the central tunnel lines.

Nicole pinched her nose shut as the pungent odor of sewage intensifed as they traveled deeper.

"This is onetime I wish I was incapable of smelling" she groaned.

Sally noded to her digital companion " tell me about it" she sighed as she too tried her best to ignore the stench" hopefully the service tunnel that my warrior Id spoke of isnt to far away." she said as the two contiuned forward.

About a few minutes later the two came to the end of the tunnel which emptied into a massive network of various pipelines and aquaducts.

Both Sally and Nicole looked around the maze like system of pipes and tunnels" The main service tunnel should be here somewhere." sally said as nicole began to scan the area.

"This Network of tunnels matches the data provided by you intelligence Id, however I'm having trouble pinpointing which one will lead to the S.L.A.V.E's stronghold." Nicole said as she

contiuned her scan.

It was then that one of the tunnels in front of them became illuminated with red lights as the sound of heavy foot steps echoed from the opening.

"Something's comming." Sally wispered to nicole as the two took cover behind a massive pipe running leagth wise across one of the walls, hoping that whatever was aproching would not notice them.

It was then that two biped subroutines emerged from the pipe, their glowing red eyes bathed the room with an erie glow as they scanned the room. Their scans went on for a few more seconds, figuring it was clear, the two programs left continuing on they way.

Once it looked like the two where out of range, Sally and Nicole both edged out of their hiding spot.

"Looks clear, that patrol thankfully didn't spot us." Nicole said, the A.I. then turned to the pipe that the subroutines came from.

"This way will most likely us lead to the entrance."

Sally noded and followed, all the while helping to keep an eye out.

A few mintues later

"This must be it." Nicole said as she looked at the massive red and black gate.

"No doubt." Sally said, "but how are we going to get in? It's not like we can knock on the door and they'll welcome us with open arms."

"Let me see." Nicole looked around scaning the area for possible weaknesses or bypasses, hoping to find something.

It then that Sally noticed the open vent on the wall,water flowing down from it.

"Nicole, there."

Sally pointed up to the vent. "That looks promising."

Nicole looked to the vent as well, focusing her scans onto it, seeing if it was safe and lead to where they needed to go.

"That may be our way in Sally. Give me a boost so I can check."

The two walked over to the wall, Sally making a cup with her hands and bent down, she then put her strength into pushing up her friend. Nicole then pulled her self up into the vent and crawled inside, a few seconds later Nicole appared holding a glowing rope that she lowed to Sally.

Sally wordlessly climbed up the rope and into the vent, and the moment she was in the vent the rope disappeared in a swirl of data. The two of them crawled though the vent for several more mintues going though all the twists and turns, stopping only when they catch a glimps of glowing red lights though the grates as other subroutines worked tirelessly, organizing everything in the building.

The two kept going until they could go no furter and ended up having to get out of the vent in what looked like a empty storage area. Both Sally and Nicole jumpped down into the room, looking around the dimly lit facility both saw crates covered with black and red tarps as they passed between them.

"So, where to now?" Sally asked looking for a door out of the room.

"So far I am not sure. I can not tell much beyond this room." The A.I. said as she looked around, walking here and there checking the walls for a door of some kind.

"_Well gals, I've been looking though the data you are sending from each of you._" Rotor said over the com. "_It would seem that the room is sealed, but there seems to be a command signal. Nicole, go back about 5 feet and check your left._"

Nicole did as she said and looked over her left. She saw nothing but open area, the A.I. kept looking around but to no avail as to what she was looking for.

"Rotor, I don't see anything."

"_Well, you are on top of it from what I can see._" Nicole was stumped, she could see the same data that the others on the outside could see, she could even see it better then the others, but it was stumping her as to where this door was at.

Nicole started to tap her foot on the floor as Sally came up to her. Suddenly an orange glow came from the floor, both girls looked down and then suddenly backed off the glow. The shape of a square platform came up, it raised it self about three inches, and a smaller square poll came up from the platform coming about 4 feet high.

After the glow had stopped and the platform's form finished forming, both looked in awe at it. "I take it this is our door guys?"

"_Pretty much Sally._" Rotor said.

"Let me see it." Nicole said walking slowly to the platform.

"Be careful." Sally said, fearing for her companion's safety.

Nicole started to scan the platfom, checking for any traps though her scans showed nothing and it seemed it was safe. Nicole then walked up to the platform and walked up to the pole, as she approached, a holographic window opened up and several bits of data flowed forth, giving Nicole all the information she wanted.

"It's a transport system," She said with a sigh of relief. "It's safe, but it is possibly being monitored. Let me see if I can override it."

'Let's hope it goes better then the first time.' Sally thought to her self remembering the entrance they made the first time.

Five minutes later

It all had gone according to plan, the faint attack that Sally's Ids pulled caught the attention of the main Slave engine forces. The attack would only look like it was a move to gain ground in key areas which was needed at this point in time.

But while that happened Sally and Nicole would sneak into the tower, which had succeeded, right now they where walking in the shadows of the hallway ducking between pilers and other structures as other subroutines passed by.

"How much further Nicole?" Sally asked as she poked her head out from behind one such structure after a group had passed by.

"The entrance to the upper levels is that way." Nicole said as she also poked her head out. "It seems clear, we should make a brake for it now."

Both nod, then the two sprinted for the doorway, completely unaware that the glowing red lines within the massive door began to shift in size and shape, as the surging red glow emitted from the bottom and then surgged to its peak as it then slowly faded hiding the change as the princess and her AI companion came next to the monolithic chamber doors.

Elsewhere in the tower

It had noticed them soon after they started to approach the door, the two targets, the sudden appearance of the host's consciousness was a rather convenient surprise.

It would then not have to take over this cityscape as the host's mind's mental defense, it was proving to be a rather time consuming process trying to gain back control.

It was all to simple to reroute the door's destination to the chamber, all it needed to do was wait for the trap to be sprung, and everything would fall into place. Just as Master Snively wanted.

S.L.A.V.E Engine HQ Observation Tower

Nicole and Sally burst though the doors after sneaking past the guard units, the open air and large nature of the room was a surprise, from outside it only looked like a single post, however it was anything but.

The Room was a round floor about 30 feet from the center out. Colloems held the high ceiling which was a dome with very intricate lines and drawings of strange symbols. Between the collumns was open to let the wind though, the sound of the wind blew between clouds that would encirule the tower with bits of lighting flowing though.

If it wasn't for the fact that this was all part of elaberote set up of Sally's mind making sense of the data into something she could understand, she would have been conviced that it was magic that connected the door with the hall way since there was no wall the door was attached to.

As the two went in, the door closed behind them, but did not lock or disapper.

_'Huh, almost half expected it to go_.' Sally thought to herself and she and Nicole walked across the room to the edge of the tower looking over to see the city, but also noticed one other thing. A rather strange pool of dark ink like oil water, almost totally black and if not for the lighting, you wouldn't have seen the ripples in the liquid, it's borders seemed to go about another fifty feet from the edge of the ledge to a high wall that kept it in. It's distance you couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like it was about one hundred feet below you, still felt as if it was almost right on top of you.

But something in that water disturbed Sally, it was like she was looking into the heart of darkness itself, at one point she thought she saw a rather disturbing image of a face come out of the water with a claw like hand reaching for her when the lighting flashed, it was when a second flash of light hit that she saw that it was coming for her, or something rather.

At this Nicole pulled Sally away from the edge and a good two feet from the creature like, thing as it came out and tried to reach the two. The pillars glowed suddenly and an energy field appeared, the creature then hit the field and screamed an unholy inhuman scream as it was replied back from it's assault to get into the room.

Nicole only watched in unadulterated awe and fear of what she obviously couldn't understand, Sally also feeling her virtual heart beating like mad at the sight as the black goo like form retreated after all the futile fighting to get in.

"Sally," Nicole ask with clear shock in her voice. "What was that thing? It didn't register on anything but visual."

"_Yeah, what is that?_" Rotor asked over the com. "_It looked like it was something out of a nightmare._"

"That is because it is in a sense." A very deep metallic male like voice said. "It is what you organics call the heart of darkness, the Abyss, the dark or evil half to one's light or goodness. Rather fascinating I must admit, it's existence is beyond any kind of logical explanation."

"Who said that?" Sally shouted looking around to find the voice's owner, finding no one on the ground, Sally looks to the ceiling and the lines and symbols started to converge onto a point, that point then started to take shape into a glowing red sphere , which then floated down to the middle of the room. It was there that other geometric forms emerged, first massive arms ending in talon like claws came out from the sides, then large digigrade legs formed from the bottom, and then a sphere like head formed from the top, 3 glowing red eyes opened as it gazed at the two of them.

"The S.L.A.V.E. Engine!" Sally gasped.

The program's eyes narrowed. "How very observant of you." it said in a cold, metallic voice.

"Becareful Sally. I can not say what it is capable of, it seems to be blocking me." Nicole said.

"You don't belong here, I'm going to give you this one chance to leave now or else!" Sally shouted at it.

"You're argument is illogical, and flawed, you're body has been upgraded and is the property of Master Snively." The program said to the two of them.

"_Nicole if you get the chance, grab it's sorce code._" Chuck said on the line.

"This is a private matter." The Slave engine said, it then glowed a bright red, a pusing wave of energy surged from the Slave program and shot up into the ceiling.

Rotor's Lab that moment

All the monitors go blank with static, both Rotor and Chuck ripped off the headsets from the feedback noise.

"NO Sally!" Sonic Shouted to the monitor.

"PINCESS!" Antone also looked with horror

Bunnie just stood there with her organic arm over her mouth in a gasp, all the while Rotor and Chuck where trying to bring back the feed.

~

S.L.A.V.E Engine HQ Observation Tower

"Now then, once I've imprisoned you and made sure you won't escape again, I will report to Master Snively and he will finally be rid of the Freedom Fighters once and for all"

The software said as it's claw began to glow as the middle of it's palm opened up and fired several red energy bolts straight at Sally.

In a flash, Nicole's Shield came up and protected them, she grunted with each hit, the strain evident on her face.

The SLAVE narrowed it's three eyes at Nicole. "Hmmm, interesting. I am surprised that an inferior A.I would be so willing to protect an organic, you must be degrading." I said it tone cold as ice.

"And your delusional!" Nicole shouted back, her body still straining from it's last attack. "Protecting the ones you care for is not a program error, and it's that aspect that separates a heartless fiend like you from me." she shouted back, her eye burning with determination.

"Nicole.." sally said, suprised by her words.

"Still no matter, you will be dealt with." The Slave replied, contiuing to fire, each energy bolt more powerful then the last as Nicole's shield to start to crack.

"Sally, be ready to run, I can't hold back the attack much longer." Nicole said, Sally nods and pulls the sword that her warrior spirit gave her from it's sheath, it's glow filling the room slightly.

"NOW!"

Nicole droped the field and both dashed in opposite directoins, running as fast as they can to avoid the shots, Sally tried to flank the program as it's attention was drawn to Nicole.

However it would prove to be useless because when Sally came up from behind it, ready to hit it with her sword, the Slave backhands her, causing her to fly and hit the ground hard.

"Sally!"Nicole shouted.

The Slave program looked towards sally as she struggled to get up, still dazed from the vicious blow she had recived.

It walked towards her, it's booming footsteps echoing thoughout the massive hall.

"Such a febbile strategy" the SLAVE stated as it grabbed sally by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

" you earlier victory was quite a suprise, but now you are in my domain and you have no hope of destroying me" It said with hate growing in it's voice.

Sally struggled in it's grasp, her breathing becoming more labored as the SLAVE tighten it's grip around her throat. Nicole watched as sally struggled, a feeling of panic rising in her.

"I have to do something, but that last attack has depleted my shield" she thought to herself.

It was then that she noticed the hilt of the energy sword lying a few feet in front of her,it's blade still eminating a vibrant glow.

With out a second thought Nicole scooped up the blade as she dashed towards the SLAVE, it's focus still on sally as it slowly crushed the life out of her

"and now organic this is where you die" the slave stated as sally's struggling became weaker, her her eyes slowly rolling back as she began to black out.

"Your companion will join you soon enou..AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!".

Nicole pluged the blade deep within the back of the program, It's body paralized with pain as the edge of the glowing sword puncutured though it's shoulder. The attack forced it to release sally, her body slaming onto the floor with a thud.

"Only one chance" Nicole said to herself as she placed her hand on the gapping would of the SLAVE.

Nicole didn't have time to try and copy the SLAVE software, not without risking Sally's life, more so her own which would leave Sally stranded here if she couldn't find her way out of this mess.

No, Nicole decided the best and most logical course of action would be to infect the software with a makeshift virus in hopes that it will cause it to self destruct. Any hope for finding ways to counter it will be lost, but at least they had the raw data from the Robotisizer and the parts from it, that would be a starting point at least, and there was the subroutine.

As Nicole kept pumping more of her energy into atacking the program from within, she knew she was in danger of self harm as the sword's hilt was burning her hand, she payed the pain no heed, even if it damageed her own programing, saving Sally and the others from this monster was worth the sacrifice of herself.

The SLAVE kept thrashing and trying to grab at Nicole to pull her off, but she was positioned in a way to prevent it's reach, and the sword it's self seemed to keep its geometic shapes from shifting in anyway to counter the attack.

"NICOLE!" Sally yelled as she watched her friend damage her self for her, just when Sally couldn't stand it anymore, the program stiffed up as if it completely froze and then fell face first into the ground. The force of the crash dislodged the sword and threw the lynx at the Sally's feet, the sword itself landing next to Nicole.

"Nicole! Please say you are alright." Sally practically crawled to Nicole in the short distance between them, comepeatly ignoring the sword and cratling her friend in her lap.

"I'm....here." The A.I. said. Her hands where blistering, bloody if that was possible, and smoking. Her face full of pain as the shock from holding the sword started to fade and the full force of it started to set in.

"Damn it Nicole! What where you thinking? You heard what my warrior spirit said, only I can hold it." Sally held her friend tightly.

"I had to do it, it is in my programing." Nicole said giving a weak smile, Sally her self could only smile back and shake her head.

"Of all the dumb things to do. Come on, let's get you out of here and to a medic. I betting with the head cut off, the rest of the subroutines will be down." Sally said getting up and putting Nicole's arm over the back of her neck to support her as they tired to make their way to the door.

"Maybe," Nicole replied. "that is if they are not fully autonomous without the main kernel that is."

They only got a few feet when a voice behind them responded to Nicole.

"That assumption is partiality correct."

Both girls stopped and turned their heads behind them to see a looming shadow, then faster then any of them could react, each one was grabbed by their necks and raised off the floor.

"....No!" Choked Sally, as she grabbed the claws with both hands pulling for freedom.

"How.....can you..." Nicole also straining the words. "That virus.......it should...have..."

"All it did was overwhelm me temporarily and forced me to freeze up do to lack of resources. Thankfully I have a small amount of memory set aside to allow for a forced restart in such an event should it take place.

All the wounds that could be seen from the front of where the sword poked though the chest was already healing up to the point that it was totally gone, and as they tried to free themselves the program was walking to the edge of the platform.

"It is time I rid my self of the inferior and outdated software, and the malfunctioning AI." It spoke in a calm and cold tone. "I have your memories Princess Sally Acorn, I can make due with that and it will not be much trouble to subdue Knothole's population and report it's location to master Snively." Both Nicole and Sally stuggled to brake free of the grip the Slave program had on their necks as it continued tocarry them to the edge of the room's open pillers.

"You...*Cough* won't get away....with this!" Sally said trying to keep breathing as it held her tight in it's grip, both girls trying to pull the claws open.

"I already have." It said as it held both girls over the goo, it's surface churning and bubbling as if intisapation, like a great beast waiting to be fed. "Good bye."

With that cold remark, it simply let go of both Sally and Nicole, both with looks of horror on their faces as they fell to the pool below, about 50 or so feet before they hit the dark water, Sally and Nicole where able to reach for each other and pull one another into a hug.

"I'm sorry Nicole." Sally whispered into the lynx's ears as tears fell from her closed eyes.

"Don't be, I've already forgiven you." She responded just before they hit the pool and where instantly enveloped into it.

It was at this point that the Slave program picked up the sword, and quickly threw it over the edge as it burned the claw.

"Argh, blasted piece of scrap." It said annoyed, already it was repairing the damage done to it's clawed hand, but noticed that the rate of healing was considerable slower then usualll

.However The Slave was so focused on the task of self-repair, that it didn't noice the glow of the sword as it fell into the water.

About 3 seconds would go by before a rumbbling shook the tower slightly, this took the Slave program off guard.

"What the-?" Again another tremor interrupted the program nearly knocking it to the floor. Back at the area where Sally and Nicole fell into the goo, there was a lot of churning and bubbling like lava as if it was going to erupt, however that was an appropriate term for what would happen next.

Suddenly, a bubble began to grow from the black goo's surface. It continued to expand until a blinding beam of light erupted from it's center, a humanoid figure with golden white wings

emerged from the glowing light.

Rotor's Lab

Panic was still setting in as Rotor and Chuck was typing desperately to get contact back with Sally and Nicole, Antone at this point was trying to wake up the princess by doing anything he could, banging pots and pans, trying to push buttons on Sally's arms, even to go so far as to kiss her when others were not looking in hopes that she would wake up like in the stories.

It would take Bunnie to force Antone to sit down and stop making things worse for the others, but that would seem too late as an argument between Sonic and Rotor started to escalate into a shouting match.

"Come on Rotor, can't you get this thing to work?" Sonic ask angerly, but more out of frustration for feeling so helpless to do anything.

"I'm trying Sonic, but I can't get access, that blasted Slave engine cut us off." Rotor said looking back at Sonic with a very unpleasant face, almost like he was going to slug his friend.

"Will you two stop this?" Charles shouted to them. "We've got more important things to deal with, like trying to get back those two, who knows what's happening in there."

Just as he finshed saying that and pointed to the computers, the monitors came back on and glowed rather brightly in an almost blinding kind of way. Everyone there had turned their attention to the monitors, just as the light died away and reviled the views from both girls, the sight would take everyone's breath away.

Back at the tower.

Fear and confusion, was the only thing going though the S.L.A.V.E program's mind as it stared up at the winged anomaly. The strange figure was bathed in a radiant gold light covering it's entire body. Her large wings resembled those that belonged to an avian, they too were emilting a blinding light.

In it's hands it was carrying the program that the organic had called Nicole, but the organic in question was no where to be seen."Was she destroyed?" the slave thought to itself as it looked closer at the being's face. "no.." it said in horror as it stared at the angel like figure, her face was exacly like the one that belonged to the organic Sally acorn, but her face showed no emotion, her pupils a solid glowing white.

"How is this posibble?, my scans show your not a program, and yet you exist in this data field." It yelled out. Ignoring the slave, the Sally like being gently place nicole down on the floor, the program looking up at her savior, wide eyed.

"Sally?" the lynx girl, asked in a shaky tone, scarcely beliving what she was seeing in front of her.

The being of light said nothing in response, but simply turned 'her' head towards the SLAVE, causing the program to jump back slightly as she appeared to glare at it.

The slave stood thier froze with fear as the this 'angel' stared at it with her piercing gaze.

" Stay back" it said charging it's arm weapon as she began to float towards the program, her wings flaping slightly as she aproched.

The slave fired 3 successive blasts at the angel, it's shots simply dissipated off of her body with out so much as a scrach.

"What are you?!" the slave screamed out, fear now taking over as it fired wildly at the aprocing angel.

The shots where worthless since even if they hit they had no effect, when Sally raised her left arm and made a grabbing fist at the program, the program suddenly acted as if it was was a restrained by invisible cables and rope, and was lifted into the air.

Sally then made a yanking motion with her left arm and the program came within a foot of Sally's reach. With her right hand she opened it palm up and lights of may colors, but with white and golden hues, collecting and forming into a very elegant longsword.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The Slave engine yelled at her, already guessing what was to come next, its eyes wide with shock as she gripped the hit of the sword. "DON'T DO THIS!"

Sally wordlessly pointed the tip of the word at the middle between the pyramid formed eyes, then she trusted the sword all the way into the head, but strangely it didn't come out the other side of the head. She pushed the sword until the hilt reached the head, the program was making 'hurking' noises, keeping the sword there for what seemed like forever.

Then suddenly Sally pulled the sword out, she then opened her left fist, and the program fell to the floor.

"You are harmless." Sally spoke, a very ethereal echo in her voice.

The program staggered to it's feet, suprised that it was still functioning, yet confused."Wha...What did you do to me?" it studdered.

Sally looked down at the program, "Your power over this realm has been stripped from you" she said, as she slowly decended to the floor.

"But that is not possible." the slave said with disbelief" your just an organic, an inferior being that can not compare to me."

Sally, shook her head.

"There are powers in this world that you could not possibly fathom, but know this program."she said as she pointed her sword towards the Slave.

"I have held your life in my hands, and I have just given it back to you, do not force me to regret that descision."she finished, her glowing eyes glaring at the now helpless program.

The Slave took to steps back, and slumped down on the ground, the impact of her words settling into its digital mind.

"why did you not destroy me then?"it said bitterly. "If the power you speak of is so great then why not use it?"

"I will not take a life, even one as twisted as yours program, and that is the choice I live my life by" she said, as her sword disipated into pure data.

The slave looked at her, anger in it's eyes."And it is that weakness that makes you an inferior being, unfit to wield such power."

Sally simply looked at the slave with saddness in her eyes.

" I pity you program" she said simply, as the SLAVE looked back in both shock and confusion at the statement.

She then turned towards Niocle and raised her hand, a small sphere of light forming in her palm.

"a gift" she said simply as the glowing orb shot from her hand and gently floated towards nicole's.

Nicole stared in awe at the glowing sphere.

"This is the slave data" she said with disbelief as she turned towards sally.

"but how did you.." Nicole started to say, but then noticed that sally's body was begining to glow brighter then before.

In a blinding flash of light, Sally's wings disipated into tiny glowing shards of energy, her glowing body disipated as she collapesed to the floor.

"SALLY!" Niocle yelled out as she ran towards the princess, fearing the worst.

Sally slowly came too\ as she lifted her head of the floor, her body restored to it's pervious form"What....what happpend?" she said as she put her hand to her forehead.

"You dont remember?" the lynx said, confused at the princess's lack of knowledge of what had occoured moments ago.

The squirrel simply shook her head"No. all I remember was falling into the void with you and then suddenly I saw a bright light engulf the two of us" she said.

Without warning, the whole tower began to shake as Sally,Nicole and the SLAVE looked about.

"Whats happening? is the data field collapsing? Sally asked her digital companion as she got to her feet

."No, the field is still stable." Nicole said worringly as the rumbbling intensified.

Suddenly a giant ploom of black erupted from the massive void that was in the central hall, thick oily tendrils shooting forth in all directions.

Sally and nicole dived away from each other barely avoiding the tentecles as they whipped at them, however the SLAVE was not as fortunate a the oily appendages, wrapped around the struggling program

"No!, let go of me!" the SLAVE screamed as it struggled to free itself.

Just then another tendril wrapped aroud its legs, pulling it down to the ground an began to drag it towards the massive void as the slave reached out with it's arms and slamed them

down, its claws digging into the floor as it was dragged closer and closer to the edge.

"Please help me!" it screamed it grip loosing as the black tendrils pulled it closer to the void.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!" it shrieked, its voice desperate, almost pleading.

Sally ran straight for the software, grabbing one of the claws, putting everything she had into trying to save it.

"HOLD ON!" Sally said trying to hold it's arm, putting her heels into the ground. She then was actually able to pull it from the edge slightly.

"Why are you helping me?!" It's panic still evident, trying to fight the goo like substance from pulling it in.

Between the grunts and pulls she responses, "No one deserver to be forced into that thing, not even you.....herrk.....I've seen what's down there if only for a second, I won't wish that on anyone." It was then that suddenly a humanoid form starts to come out of the goo, with an arm raised.

"**WE WILL NOT BE DENIED AGAIN!**" It's voice echoes with the sound of millions of voices at once, as it takes a swing at Sally and backhands her across the face so hard that it knocks her clear across the room right into Nicole's arms. The program then is pulled more fully, and nothing it could do would stop it as it's claws dug deep gouges into the floor.

"HEEEELLLP!!" Full forced fear in it's voice, Sally gets back up and makes a run for the slave program, and jumps with a one last attempt to rescues it, as it goes over the edge Sally lands on the edge and reaches for it. However, she misses the claw as the tentacles takes the program into the pool of goo.

As the inky black void continued to consume the hapless program it look up towards Sally and Nicole, their faces etched with horror as the swirling black mass, enveloped the program as it tired to fight for its freedom. It stretched its remaining arm skywards towards the two, it's three eyes held a look of fear and helplessness,

"I...don't want...*sob*...die." it whimpered. red glowing tears streaming down it's eyes as the it slowly sunk into the abyss "I...don't *sob* want...*sob* ....to die."

It is finally pulled in, it's claw being the last thing to be seen, suddenly a solid mass started to cover the liquid as it sealed off the darkness from the rest of the room.

"Sally?" Nicole ask getting up and looking at her friend.

"I couldn't save it." She said as if on the edge of tears, the guilt of not being able to save it was evident.

"Sally, there is nothing you could do to save it, and even if you had, it would more the likely have tired to enslave you. That would have put everyone in knothole at risk."

Sally took what Nicole in solice, trying desperately accept the facts. "It's still no-"

Just then the data field changed, everything started to deslove around them, and as the light broke off peices from every item in and around themselves flew off, the lights then started to race into Sally, making her start to glow.

"NICOLE! What's happening?!" Sally asked as the effects start to pick up pace.

"This must be what your intelligence persona meant by a reconversion, it seems without the Slave your mind is able to fully is now recompiling itself." She pointed out as everything started to get brighter to the point that of blinding, then Nicole started to become light her self, but unlike everything else around her, she just became one mass of light and was flung into Sally. It is at this point that the entirerity of the city brakes apart into light and it begins to converge into Sally ,the swirling mass of data it becomes so intese that she blacks out.

Rotor's Lab, Work Area

Sally's eye's glowed a vibrant blue as she began to come out of the data dive. She blinked a few times as the room came into focus. Sonic, Bunnie, Rotor, Antoine, and Sir Charles all stood above her, each one with a worried look on their face.

"Sally." Rotor asked first. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

Sally took a moment to take stock of herself and everything around her.

"I'm okay," she said looking at the others, "but it would be great if you would untie me please?"

"Oh, right, sorry." Rotor was also joined by the others as he went and untied Sally from her restraints.

Just then a though crossed to Sally's mind, "Nicole? Are you there?"

"I am here Sally." The AI said, "I seem to be at 100% functionality with all data from the Slave engine and it's subroutine intact."

Sally gave a sigh of relief but was still burdened by the events that took place, weighting heavily on her mind.

About a minute later Sally was sitting on the table rubbing her arms and wrists, mostly out of habit.

"So from what I can tell from the data, it seems you are clean of the SLAVE Engine." Chuck said looking over a readout.

"I concur with Sir Charles, Sally," Nicole responded, "however, it is best to keep monitoring the situation in that area of your mind. Even if the SLAVE Engine is gone, your I.D's said it yourself that there might be a chance that 'it' may still come back from that . . . Abyss."

Sally noticed the hesitant pause Nicole gave. Was what she saw back there really affect her more then she let on? Sally would deal with that later. At the moment Antone was bombarding her with questions of 'Are you okay' and 'Do you feel alright' to Antoine's completely ridiculous requests for seeing to her needs, but he did bring up the valid point about the future of the Freedom Fighter Leadership. However the questions wouldn't stop and it was beginning to get on her nerves to a braking point.

"Do I look ok to you?" Sally shouted at him, causing everyone in the room to gasp in surprise.

" I've just been robotized, I've nearly killed all of you against my will and you're asking me if I'm ok?" Her voice growing loader, "Well I'm not!" She screamed out, the metallic echo in her voice further enhancing the rage and pain she was in.

The room was deadly silent. After her last outburst, no one dared to say anything as Sally sat there, her body trembling slightly. Bunnie was the first to speak up.

"Sally girl, he's just tryin' ta---" Bunnie began.

"Don't!" Sally cut her off, causing the rabbit girl to step back slightly. Her ears drooped down, her expression one of helplessness.

"I just.... I just need to get away from here." She said as she got up off the table and out of Rotor's hut.

It was then Sally stormed out into the night, just walking away from the stress of the situation, of everything, just trying to find some way to clear her mind. She had a valid reason to be afraid of everyone in Knothole's reaction to what happened to her and Sonic. It was a mercy at the same time that no one was around to see her in her new form as she went in no direction in particular.

" Ah crap." Sonic thought as he placed his face into his palm and shook his head._ "Insert Foot (A) into Mouth (B)."_

"I've got it, guys."

Chuck only signed as he watched the blue hedgehog go after the princess.

"I hope to high Heaven that he's able to get to her before she does something. reckless" He spoke as he helped Rotor start to clean up.

Bunnie and Antoine decided to go and take care of things they had to do at the moment. Bunnie mostly to check up on Tails and see to the dinner he missed out on after coming back from the mission as upset as he was. Antoine left to speak to the three Mobians who helped out today to swear them to secret about the mission and the utterly disastrous outcome so as not to cause a panic which was bound to happen but he hoped to at least control the damage.

"Sir Charles!" Nicole spoke up suddenly, the elderly Robian looked to the A.I.

"Yes, Nicole, is something the matter?" He said walking up to her and picking up her palm sized form.

"I would have spoken this earlier, but I felt that the conflict with everyone here would have been distracting." Nicole then went and displayed a holographic image above her of the SLAVE Engine program.

"Why are you showing us that?" Rotor asked looking up from putting tools and wires back in their original semi-organized place.

"I have found several exploitable inherent weaknesses within the programming that, with the help from Sally's intelligence I.D, have deducted that were put there intentionally."

"Snively put in weakness into the software?" Rotor said "Why did he do that?"

"I don't know the answer to that, but my best theory is that it may have been meant as a fail-safe in case the SLAVE went rogue. I'm seeing a good many possibilities and scenarios of why in this coding of the copy I made of the programming."

"But how does that help us?" Rotor said looking at the codes that Nicole highlighted to make her point.

"Can it help us free others like with Sally?"

"To answer your first question, yes it does help; but to the second, no, it is a little more complicated then that."

"Can you explain, Nicole, and do you have a better idea of why this is programmed like this?" Chuck said, inside him self he felt a measure of hope.

"From what I can gather, Sir Charles, is that the coding has a very high learning and adaptability which could turn on Snively, but the weaknesses in place if given a command that can not be overridden by the software let's the Robian fight the SLAVE. It not only weakens the hold it has over a person, but it gives them a small advantage of destroying it. This window of freedom is very miniscule, however, since it would seem that the program if it's disabled this way, puts the body in Stasis because of the mental strain on the person and the OCPU."

Nicole gave a small slide show of each depicted event she detailed.

"Because of the Stasis lock that would be implemented a few seconds after the SLAVE software is down. Snively can do a hard reset of said software, and download it and figure where what went wrong, or just restore the software from a default backup."

"So how does this knowledge help us Nicole?" Chuck pointed out.

"From this, I can extrapolate a possible anti-slave software that can exploit these holes in security and potentially free a Robian of their enslavement, but more then likely it will just create a subroutine into the software that will make the SLAVE think it is a sub-program it created that it will then mimic in almost every way the person who is enslaved. In layman's terms, it fools the SLAVE into thinking a sub-routine it thinks it created is the person it is suppose to be holding, and makes the actual person into a pseudo sub-routine that masks them, allowing them to manage lower level functions, like some data traffic, back up management, or even making the software think a diagnostic report comes back with damage and at this point it will give temporary control to the robin to commence repairs that are not needed."

"I see. This is great news." Chuck said with a smile on his face as he took in the report and started to imagine what might be possible.

"It is?" Rotor asked.

"Yes; and I have an idea of just what we can use this for, help me set up a rig with the Robotizer parts. I have some ideas I want to try and see if we can't beat Snively at his own game."

"Okay." It was at this point that Rotor remembered something from earlier.

"Nicole, you said 'one of the only parts'. What did you mean by that? Are there other parts of the body that are not robotized in Sally?"

"Yes, but they have unknown functions at this point. I'm unable to deduce, and even with further study, I might not be able to.

There are parts that seem to be conflicting in their description of systems and in information about certain components, but what I can tell is that it seems to be related to some kind of production that is for unknown reasons, maybe nanobots for repairs or ammo replenishment. I would recommend investigating these further at a later date."

North shores of a small lake, southwest of Knothole.

Sally had run as fast as she could to this spot. It was one of her favorite places for her to think. The lake was deep enough and covered enough by the trees to not easily be seen from the air, making it a perfect place for Knothole to receive its water supplies as well as the fish that migrated every year to spawn and then die soon after.

It was here, near an old tree stump, that Sally came to clear her head and think when her mind was troubled, where she would come to reflect. The moonlight that filtered though the openings of the trees was bright enough to let almost anyone see the surroundings. Even without the moonlight, Sally could see every detail in perfect clarity almost as if it was day.

This brought up feelings of dread and despair in her. For while she was sitting on the shore line with her knees up to her chin and arms wrapped around them, she saw her mechanical self looking back at her. For an instant she could see in the reflection Robotnik laughing like mad at her situation from behind her. It would fade and Snively took up the other side from Robotnik taking over the laughing, he too would also disappear leaving her by herself.

Then a reflection in the water with a familiar shape came up behind her, the sound of heavy set boots stepping on grass, 'kind of like my feet' Sally mused.

"Sal," Sonic spoke to her from 4 feet away from her. "Sally, I know you're hurting, so please speak to me."

"_His words, his voice, it sounded so different then from this morning._ " She thought as she listened, not once taking her eyes off her image in the water. _"It's like he's a different person now."_

"Please." He asked her again. She closed her eyes and started to sob, tears rolling down her face even though she couldn't feel it. A small diagnostic warning about a leak in her optic cleaning system in the corner of her HUD appeared. She just ignored it, and the warning kept going.

"It's all my fault, Sonic!" The tears were really streaming out now, almost in steady flows. "I should have known. I should have planned better. If I did this wouldn't have happened."

"Sal, you can't plan for everything. How could you have known that Snively escaped the effects of the Doomsday weapon? We all figured he was gone with ole Buttnik."

"It's no excuse, Sonic, I was . . . am the leader of the Freedom Fighters. I'm ultimately responsible for the outcome of every mission, good or bad." Her voice at this point lost its metallic echo. "I am the one that has to answer to those loved ones that lose someone that are either captured, killed, or worse: robotized."

Sonic sighed heavily.

"Sal, you can't beat your self up over this. None of this is your fault and if you want to blame anyone, blame me. I should have run at the first sign of trouble to try and find another way to you and get us both out of there. Instead, I hesitated and we both paid the price for it."

Sally then got up and looked at Sonic, her face taking on an upset and almost angry look.

"You're not the one that nearly robotized you. You're not the one that nearly killed you. You're not the one that attacked our friends and you're not the one . . . that almost . . . almost . . . killed . . . Tails."

She then fell to her knees and placed both hands in her face and the sobbing came out full force. The struggle with her emotions had finally come to it's braking point and she couldn't hold it back anymore. Her sobbing was so much that she was shaking.

"Oh God, I'm a hideous monster." She said between sobs as the water from her eyes kept spilling out the sides of her hands, the drops forming and falling to the forest floor, glistening in the moonlight.

Sonic kneeled down to her, placing his hand on her cheek. The poor girl looked up from her hands, her eyes meeting his, tears still flowing down her metallic cheeks.

"Sally . . ." He said as he slowly helped her to her feet.

"I know how you've always been the one to try and bear the burden for everything, but you have to know that we'll always be here for you."

Her sobbing had softened a bit as she listened, her blue eyes meeting his green ones.

"Listen to me," he said as he gently caressed her cheek, "you are not a monster." He said, emphasizing each word as he held her close.

"I don't care what you look like, Sal, because I know under all this, is the girl I fell in love with, the girl I want to be with, and nothing will ever change that."

Her eyes took on a sad look as he spoke those words.

"Sonic . . . I . . ." But words failed her terribly.

"Would a monster have been able to fight that Slave thing? Would a monster have gone and put herself at risk to save those she loves and cares for?"

She just kept listening, the tears slowing down and the sobbing dying out entirely.

"Cheer up, Sal. You're still the most, way past cool gal I've ever met and that makes you beautiful." He said as he gave her a loving smile.

"Sonic," She said as the look of sadness changed to that of gratefulness and joy as he held her face in his hands.

She didn't have anything else to say, she just put her hands on his shoulders and then leaned into him and kissed him.

Not hesitating a moment, Sonic put his arms around Sally and returned it.

Lookout watchtower,

Highest point in the Great forest,

Knothole's highest point,

1 hour later

"How y'all doing, Sugar?" Bunnie asked a solemn Sonic as he looked at the distant horizon towards Robotopolis.

Sonic turned to see Bunnie coming up the stepladder. He then turned back and continued to look out there.

"As well as you can expect," His eyes fixed on the pollution that was lit up due to the city lights'A ambient glow reflected off the thick cloud of ash and soot.

"If you had told me a week ago that we'd finally be rid of Robotnik, only to have Snively outshine his own uncle and nearly take us out in the process, I would have said 'fat chance.'"

Bunnie walked up to the railing near Sonic's right putting her organic arm down while resting her chin on her robotic one. "I know, that little snake in th' grass. I never knew the varmint had it in him. To think I thought Robotnik was th' worst news this side of th' great ruins."

"I know. The game has changed and not for the better. We underestimated him and look where we are now. Oh man, how are we going to tell everyone about Sally and me?"

Bunnie looked up at her friend, _'he has changed_,' she thought to herself, looking at his face as it turned serious.

"I don't know, but right now you're coming to my hut for th' night." Sonic turned to look at the rabbit.

"Wha . . . what?" Sonic asked as his cheeks started to burn a bit red.

"Don't get any fancy ideas, boy," Putting her hands on her hips, "You're staying th' night with me and Tails. Mostly because the poor boy will need you there if he wakes up from a nightmare and I don't think me alone will help. Plus, you need training with those hands of yours."

"Okay, but why training? I've been doing fine so far."

"So far is right, Sonic, y'all been lucky. But if experience has taught me anything, is that luck can only take you so far. The first week back after you and Sally saved me from that portable robotizer that patrol of SWATbots was testing out. Remember what happened?"

Then it dawned on Sonic.

He remembered that week. Bunnie couldn't hold anything in her left hand without nearly destroying it, or, as a matter of fact, anything she touched. And he didn't want to remember the whole thing with the boulder and her when she was spitting mad. Rotor was still finding pieces of that stealth bot patrol plane to this day by the ravine.

"Okay, you win. Just let me get a few things from my place, okay? I'll meet you at your hut soon."

With that Bunnie noded and decended down the ladder, Sonic only takes one last look in the direction of the city before turning and following his friend as well.

Robotopolis

Factory Warehouse 14

Snively watched from the catwalk above as the massive line of Robian worker bots assembled in the main assembly bay, all of them ready to become the first candidates for the Newly built prototype combat robotizer

"Hmm, things are running much smoother then I had expected." He said to himself, a sinister smile forming on his face.

It was then that the sound of metal footsteps caught his attention as a SWATbot walked up beside him, a data pad in it's hand.

"Ah, yes, just the bot I wanted to see." He said as the bot saluted to its master.

"Sir." Hal responded in his drawl metallic voice.

Snively looked back down at the group of Robians as the first of many began to march in single file columns into the multiple chambers, ready for their conversation into his new robot army.

"I must say, Hal," he said, watching the spectacle before him, "I am quite impressed by the amount of work you and your SWATbot brethren were able to accomplish in just a few short hours."

"Thank you, sir." The SWATbot said, his voice sounded somewhat appreciative. "I have SWATbot teams working on power stations 1 through 6 and should be back up at full capacity in 2 days"

Snively sneered with delight.

"Excellent. At this rate we will have a full regiment of Combat Robians ready and willing to carry out my commands at a moment's notice."

Hal nodded in response but looked down as if in deep thought.

"Sir, may I ask a question?"

Snively turned his gaze at the robot.

"What about the Freedom Fighters? They managed to dismantle or destroy most of the prototype robotizer's major components, not to mention they have also acquired the Princess Sally unit as well. Would that not become a problem for us in future endeavors?" The bot finished in a mater of fact tone.

Snively's brow furrowed.

"You just let me worry about that, Hal. For now I want you to report back the command center and begin armament preparations for the new troops." He said, focusing his attention back down at his future army to be.

"As you wish, master." The bot responded.

And with that turned and walked down the catwalk, typing on his data pad, leaving the Overlander to look over the conversation process, an evil smile creeping on his face.

To Be Continued....


	2. Episode 2: Shattered Freedom

Due to something that I didn't see or know about it but I had to dig and find the back up file for this story, there was a missing section near the bottom and due to time constraints, I've been forced to do only a quick fix. So here's the fixed version, but don't expect any huge grammar fixes, I don't have time to go though everything, I just wish I could.

-

Episode 2 : Shattered Freedom

Great forest

Knothole

Small streams of sunlight pierced through the thick forest canopy as the morning sun began to rise, It's life giving glow a welcoming sight to the awakening inhabitants of the secluded village.

For the villagers, the day was beginning just like any other, the people where ready to go about their daily activities, unaware of the events of the previous night, that had come to past.

In Princess Sally's hut rays of light shined through the window of the quaint domicile, illuminating the room with it's warm glow.

Sally was laying in her bed, the sun reflecting off her metal body as she slowly began to stir.

Her eyes opened lazily, as a soft blue glow emanated from her pupils as she awakened,bold green text scrolled across her vision showing various system checks and status screens as her body 'woke up'.

'SYSTEM OK' flashed in bright green neon letters as her optics reverted to their default setting.

"_Ok?, anything but!_" Sally thought bitterly as she rose from her bed, her joints and servos creaking and twisting as she stretched out.

Last night had been mostly a blur to her, the battle with the slave had taken a lot out of her and even after being in stasis(the robian equivalent of sleep) she still felt drained, both physically and emotionally.

The events by the lake however where still vivid in her mind, the words of her love, still echoing in her thoughts.

_"You're still the most, way past cool gal I've ever met and that makes you beautiful."_He had said to her as they embraced under the moonlight, that moment of affection they shared with each other was something she would never forget.

With an metallic sigh, Sally walked over to her dresser, the wooden planks of the hut's floor creaking with each step.

Opening the drawer, She pulled out a blue vest, it's appearance was exactly the same as the one she had lost in Robotropilis.

"_Hope it still fits._" She thought to herself as she began to put it on.

Looking at herself in her dresser mirror, she was surprised that the vest still fit her reasonable well despite the changes due to her robian form.

It was then that her focus shifted from her attire to her actual body, last night she was so filled with sorrow and rage that her robian body was nothing but an ugly shell she wanted nothing to do with.

After waking with a much clearer head, it gave her time to take in her new look throughly. Her coloring was no different from her normal form, with the major difference being she was covered in metal rather then fur.

Her face looked very close to her original form's, with the exceptions of visible seams that ran down across her cheeks where the metal plating intersected with one another. The irises of her eyes where a pitch black with her pupils glowing a light sky blue, almost exactly the same color as her real eyes once were. Her hair was still scarlet colored, but instead of hair, it was now a series of flexible metal fibers, which strangely were able to bend and move in a similar fashion to her original hair, yet still held a rigid form as she brushed her metallic bangs from her face to get a better look at herself.

The proportions of her body where mostly unchanged, with the only visible changes where her chest, waist, and hips where segmented at various points; most noticeable in areas that allowed her to bend and flex her body.

Her legs below her knees was covered in blue colored metal that became wider as it came down to her ankles, her boots had been integrated into the design of her legs, the heels of which where elevated, making her slightly taller.

"Hmmm..I guess it will have to do." She mused to herself, still having trouble coming to terms with her robian form. And on that thought, Sally left her hut and walked down the grassy walkway towards rotor's workshop

-

Knothole

Rotor's Lab

"All right sugah hog, now y'all got ta be patient with this one." Bunnie said as Sonic carefully flexed his metallic fingers around a tin can.

He then let out a low growl of frustration as he accidentally crushed the can, with his vice-like grip. It was then that rotor walked in , carrying a box of various scrap parts and machinery.

"So how's the training going?" he asked curiously while setting down the box on his workbench.

All the response he got from sonic was a sideways glance and a rather annoyed look that clearly read 'what do you think?' as Bunnie smiled apologetically to rotor.

"Well Sugah, It's been rather slow goin, but I reckon he'll get the hang of it."

Sonic let out an deep sigh as he leaned against the chair he was sitting in.

"How the heck am I even suppose to use these things? It feels like I'm wearing a pair of oversize hockey gloves." He said, while raising his robotized arm up to add emphasis.

"Well, to be honest Sonic you have actually made a lot of progress since last night." Rotor said.

"It just seems that as far more delicate movements are concerned you just gotta take it a bit slower."

Sonic looked up at the walrus with one of his trademark smirks.

"You know that slow has never really been my style Rotor." he said with a hint of humor behind his voice. Both rotor and Bunnie sighed in response to the hedgehog's snarky comment.

"Yeah we know." They said in near unison.

It was then the the sound of metal footsteps caught their attention as they turned around to the door way.

"Good morning guys." Sally said as she walked up to the trio, it was then that she noticed the rather large pile of crushed cans on the floor near Sonic and Bunnie.

"Oh don't worry about that Sal," Sonic said as he noticed the puzzled look on her face.

"Just been getting practice on how to control these." he said as he lifted his hand and flexed his metal digits.

Sally nodded, "I see."

Though from what she could tell It looked like he still could use some more practice. Bunnie walked to her friend and placed her robotic hand on the side of her shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

"How ya doin Sally girl? Ya feelin alright?"

Sally softly smiled at the her friend's concern, apparently her new look did little to effect the sweet rabbit girl's kindness.

"Well I would be lying if I said I was fine, but I am feeling a whole lot better since last night." She said.

"Glad to hear, y'all gave us quite a scare last night during that whole data dive thing." Bunnie said as Rotor walked up to Sally with Nicole in his hand.

"I believe this belongs to you." Rotor said as he handed her the small personal super computer.

"Thank you Rotor, I appreciate you taking care of her while I was asleep." She said as she unfolded NICOLE and activated it.

"It's no trouble at all Sally, just glad I could help out is all." The walrus said as he walked back to his work bench.

"Good morning Sally." The small computer chimed, her voice was surprisingly more lively then it had ever been.

"Rotor? Did you do any programing to NICOLE while you had her, she seems different."

Rotor looked up at Sally from what ever device he was tinkering with and said "No Sally, but she has been acting strange since last night."

Before Sally could respond a metal crunching sound came from the corner of the room.

"Now sugar hog, you did good there until you tired to catch it."

"Ugh," Sonic complained. "This is way past uncool."

He then dropped the can with the rest of it's ruined brethren. Turning once more to the box full of empty cans, he picked up another ready to try again with the exercise Bunnie had him doing.

"Okay, one more time." Bunnie said watching Sonic to do another delicate maneuver with this hands and the can.

Sally decided to ignore Nicole's strange behavior for now and focus on more important matters.

"Rotor, where's uncle Chuck?" The metal princess asked the walrus.

"He's still fiddling with the parts from the robotisizer, he said that he was trying rig up something." As Rotor said, another crunch could be heard from Sonic, the two paid it little heed as he continued. "Mostly right now he's having me get parts from the shed for the rig."

Rotor then walked to the back of the lab where a curtain was hiding it, he then walked behind it, and Sally could see Chuck working on a platform.

Curiosity got the better of Sally as she followed the walrus behind the curtain, there she saw Chuck welding something on the outside of the platform.

Sally's noticed suddenly as Chuck was welding, he wasn't wearing a welder's mask, but then a little icon in Sally's vision suddenly appeared that looked like a sun crossed out with a red X. The reason for this became apparent when the blinding light from the welder suddenly came on and it didn't blind her, the room dimmed almost to full darkness while the area around the welding was viewable. Once Chuck stopped, her vision became normal once more.

This would continue for three more times until Rotor interrupted the elder robain.

"Got those capacitors and breakers you asked for uncle Chuck." Rotor said putting the box of items on a bench near the machine.

"Thanks Rotor." He said.

"Uncle Chuck? What are you doing?" Sally asked him, the older robain looked to the younger one.

"Well, last night's events got me thinking."

"about what?" sally said as Charles picked up a data-pad that was on a workbench beside the unfinished device.

Charles walked over and handed her the pad."About the SLAVE engine" he said as he pointed on the screen

Sally felt a chill crawl up her robotic spine as she stared at the digital representation of the now infamous program on the data-pad's screen.

"From what I witnessed last night, theres no possible way for the freedom fighters to continue carrying out our standard operations with this thing out in the field, not to mention that with these combat robians patrolling Robotropilis, it's going to make us have to completely rethink our strategies" Charles said solemnly.

"That still hasn't answered my question as to what your building here" Sally said as she walked over to the device in question, taking a closer look at it.

Charles stood with a thoughtful expression, as if contemplating a very difficult decision, a expression that Sally certainly took notice of as she stood up from examining the unfinished equipment she had been overlooking.

"what is it?" she ask, concerned as she saw the elderly robian was struggling with what must have been something troubling.

Charles looked up at the robian princess as he took a deep sigh "Sally, I'm sure your familiar with the term fighting fire with fire correct?" he said, his tone turning very serious

Sally nodded in response, wondering what he was getting at.

"for years I have had to live with the guilt of what my invention has done to this world, but now after seeing what Snively has created I don't think there is any other alternative to combat this new threat" Charles said as he looked at the uncompleted device, concern in his eyes.

For a moment sally was still confused, but then it suddenly dawned on her, a look of surprise on her face as she looked at Charles and then at the machine.

"You're building a robotisizer? Why?" She asked him.

"Two reasons really," He sighed taking a moment to think again to him self the justification he had in the first place. "The first one would be to continue the original intent of making it a medical tool, Heaven knows we may just need it thanks to Snively upping the stakes of everything.

It was then he took a moment to think over his second reason with it being more for him self then anything. "The second is if we're going to have any hope to beat him, we might be forced to play him at his own game, but not without an edge. Which is why I'm building a robotisizer that can de-robotisize someone it already has robotisized."

"Can we use it on us?" She asked with a glint of hope, but noticed the pain in his eyes when she asked.

"I'm afraid not. You, Sonic, Bunnie, me, or anyone else that hasn't been in this one can't be reversed." He said picking up on the meaning of what she said. "The best I can do however is use it on my self or Bunnie to upgrade our selves. One thing I have to make note is that even if I fully robotisize Bunnie or Sonic, when changing them back their limbs will still be robotisized."

"I see," She said looking down,disappointment in her eyes.

"Listen Sally," Chuck said putting both hands on her shoulders and having her look at him.

"There's still a chance to get this to work on de-robotisizing you and Sonic, but it is a horribly slim one, even so I won't give up trying even if it looks like we may be stuck this way forever."

"Its Okay, I just wish we didn't have to do it this way." She said, looking away from Chuck and to the Robotisizer.

"I'm sorry it has come to this." Chuck said and he pulled her into a hug, "Can you ever forgive this old fool for the evil that he's brought on our world?"

"Oh Chuck." She said back felling the tears coming from him, Rotor at this point had made himself scarce deciding to check on Sonic and Bunnie to let them have their moment.

"There's nothing to forgive, you had no idea your work would be used like this or end up doing this to both of us, and I can live with this if it means saving our people."

"You don't know just how much that made this old man's soul feel better." Chuck said to her.

Sally smiled softly"You'll figure it out, I'm sure of it." She said to him, then a thought crossed her mind, "Chuck? Can this robotisizer free someone of the SLAVE engine?"

Wiping away a tear from his face he looks back at the data pad still in hand. "That's the one piece of good news I have for this, we might be able to override the program with one of our own. Thanks to the data from both the SLAVE engine and the subroutine Nicole got us, we might be able to free someone with this, or install a version of our own SLAVE engine as a kind of antibody program to prevent anyone from being made into a Combat Robian for Snively."

Looking at a image of 'Doggie' on the data pad with stats and points of data, sort of made the one in her come out of her subconscious if only for a second and retreat back in. Strangely enough, the action of the one in her acting cute matched up with the action of the one in the data pad, made her smile slightly.

"So do you really think that this could actually work?" She looked up with renewed hope.

"It might be the only shot we get, if we can bring them back to the rig. However the most likely scenarios would be more of the 'on the field installation' of our own software with you having to carry and install it into someone, but you will be able to do it fine thanks to Nicole."

"Thank you Sir Charles." The computer spoke up in Sally's hand in a far less monotone voice as of late.

"Uh, you're welcome Nicole. Anyways, I need to do some testing and figure out what is the best set up for this to work. Run some simulations later with Nicole's help, but if all goes well princess, we might have a weapon to use in our fight against Snively."

"Okay," She spoke nodding with reluctant approval to the plan, then she noticed Nicole in her hand and remembered about the holster she used to have in her boot, and the one in the vest she lost being the only one with the safety strap for her. "Oh no, I forgot about that."

"Forget what?" Chuck asked.

"The holster that I had for Nicole in my vest and on my boot." She said as she opened her vest.

"This one doesn't have the strap to keep Nicole in it. The one back in Robotropolis was my last vest with one."

"Sally, if I may." Nicole spoke up. "There might still be one on your boot, although a much different one."

"Nicole, my boots are my feet now, the hostlers are gone." Sally pointed out.

"That is my point." Nicole said, then added, "They were integrated into you, I found this out when I was talking to your intelligence aspect, you need only think about it."

Looking at uncle Chuck, who just shrugged, Sally did as instructed by closing her eyes and imaging her holster for Nicole, it was then that she felt an odd pop on her right calve and looked down to see a panel had opened up.

The slot open outward and then slid down slightly on a twin hinge system that was mounted on the right and left sides of the access port, the port itself then split vertically to allow Nicole to be stored.

"Whoa," Sally replied.

"Just close me up and then insert me, there should be a push-in lock and release mechanism." Nicole said.

Sally did as she was told. Once Nicole was placed there the port closed back up and the slot retract back into her leg rather quickly.

Within a second of the panel closing Sally felt a sudden rush as if she felt very light headed, but that would soon pass, some numbers and information in her H.U.D passed by rather quickly and a small window opened up with Nicole's mobian form on it.

"Hi Sally." The smiling lynx said while waving to her.

"Well, this is sort of convenient." Sally spoke, waving back.

"Why did you just wave to me?" Chuck asked with a puzzled look.

"One moment Sally, there's one other option you have thanks to me being integrated with your systems." Nicole's window then disappeared from Sally's view, and then a square holographic window opened up between both her and Chuck with Nicole in it. "Now how is that? Better?"

"Well I'll be." Chuck spoke with surprising excitement.

"Nicole, how are you doing that?" Sally asked, at once noticing that the hologram was not wavy or slightly distorted as it normally would be.

"It is simple Sally, by combing our systems, I can use your body as a kind of booster for my holographic projector, you have several subsystems in you that let me take advantage of my projector and put out a more effective display.

"Nicole," Chuck pointed out, "How am I hearing you?"

"That would be the hard-light feature that I was able to adapt with my systems. I can make the hologram vibrate ever so slightly to allow for sounds and I can pick up sound and other types of vibrations that come into contract with the projection. Bypassing the need to use Sally's senses and freeing up it's use for other needs."

"That's Amazing." Sally said with awe.

"The truly amazing part is that your subsystems allows for a full 360 degree projection from your body because of key locations that also allow for the projection of holograms, but visually I'm still dependent on Sally's eyes to see the normal spectrum."

With that, Nicole shut down the window but the two could still hear her.

"I need to run compatibility tests on my self to see how much I am able to interface with you Sally, I'll be here if you need me, just call out to me with your mind, I'll hear it." Nicole's voice still heard by Chuck.

"Well, I can say at least something good has come of this." Chuck said impressed by this event.

Suddenly there was a bang from outside the door to the lab.

"Princess, are you in there?" The voice of Griff shouted to them. "Please, we need to see you."

Sally was about to answer when she felt Chuck's hand on her shoulder. "Wait, let us deal with this, you stay here. We'll brake it to them easy and then you can show them."

"Okay," She said with some hesitation, Chuck nods in response and then went past the curtain with Rotor following.

Sonic and Bunnie didn't move from their spot, as they continued working on his training, no one could blame them if you where around when Bunnie was learning to reuse her limbs.

However Chuck wasn't there when it happened and muttered about 'Those two....' that no one payed it any mind. Getting to the door, he took a short breath and exhaled, then opened it.

There stood Lupe, Ari, and Griff with two of the others that came with the group during yesterday's re-con mission into robotopolis.

"We heard from these two about what happened," Ari said as he barged in, but stopped and starred in disbelief at Sonic sitting on his stool , the ram's eyes fell on the hedgehog's metallic limbs. "So it is true?"

"Yes Ari." Sally spoke coming out from behind the curtain, the shock on Ari, Lupe, and Griff's faces was evident.

"Oh no." Griff said,sadly as he walked in looking at the now robotized princess.

"Princess," Lupe said solemnly as she looked at Sally, "I'm so sorry, I should have been there to support you.."

Lupe walked up and hugged her, Sally slowly but carefully returned the hug, taking care not to exert to much pressure. Even though she could still feel to a slight degree, the roboticization had left the majority of her senses particularly numb, Sally figured it would take a good while for her to get used to the rather incovenant adjustments.

"Snively is going to pay for what he's done to you." Ari said angrily as he punched his fist into his palm.

Sally looked towards the three, appreciative that they still saw her as a leader and their friend, hoping that when the time came the residents of knothole would be just as understanding. But for now there was more pressing matters to discuss.

"There no point in second guessing, all we can do now is move forward. Right now we've got to plan for what Snively is going to send our way." Sally said as she let go of Lupe and took a step back.

"That's kind of what we came to talk to you about." Griff spoke up.

The young cat from yesterday spoke up. "Paul came up to us this morning, it's Marcus, he's stirring up trouble again.".

"Yeah, we didn't say anything, just like Antoine told us not to." The bird from yesterday said. "But we think he may have overheard us talk about something."

"well that just fantastic." Sonic said sarcastically, "What does that jerk want this time? I swear, he's almost as bad as Butttnik."

"Sonic, please." Sally spoke up. "He may be a jerk, but he is a genius when it comes to keeping our provisions from running out, plus he's the only one in Knothole besides Lupe and her pack that can hunt or trap wild game for meat."

"Still doesn't make me not want to throw him over a cliff." Sonic complained.

"Well, If not for him getting the meat, you wouldn't have anything for your chilly dogs but empty buns." Sally pointed out.

Sonic just grumbled, but went back to his training session.

"Anyways," Griff said.

"Marcus is demanding answers for what happened yesterday. He's already got my Lieutenants, in a huff."

"Wonderful, and knowing how hard it was to get him to accept me in this village, I don't want to think about what he's going to say about you." Chuck said figuring what might happen.

"He's got that grudge on you to start with and then there is his influence with some of the villagers."

Sally let out a frustrated sigh."God, there's only one thing I can do." she said putting her hand over her forehead. "And I don't think anyone here is going to like it."

-

Knothole

War alcove

The central hall was buzzing with activity as the knothole's residents assembled, all chatting with each other, wondering what was so important that the entire village had to be informed.

"Hey Marcus, do ya have any idea whats going on?" a male raccoon said to a German Shepperd across from him.

"beats me" Marcus shrugged "Maybe it has something to do with robotropilis."

"But isn't it safe to go back to the city now that Robotnik's gone?" a female cat spoke up to the two.

Various chatter continued throughout the hall until rotor walked in followed by Bunnie and Antoine, the room turning silent as the three freedom fighters made their way to the front of the crowd.

"*ahem* Um.. I know a lot of you are probably wondering why we have called you all down here" rotor said as the crowd listened, though some where rather confused as to why rotor, the village mechanic was addressing them rather then princess sally.

"We feel that it is important to inform you all of the events that transpired last night during a recon mission to Robotropolis" rotor said, as both Antoine an Bunnie looked on, a anxious look on their faces as they watched the crowd's reactions. It was then that the three began to be bombarded by questions from various people from the group.

" Is it safe to go back to the city?", "is Robotnik really dead?", "why isn't princess sally here informing us about this?" were just a small number of various questions being addressed to the group of freedom fighters.

Rotor steeled himself as he continued to address the crowd.

" to answer a few of you questions, No Robotropolis is not safe, and from what we can tell Snively has taken control of the city in Robotnik's place" he said as the crowd gave a collective gasp.

"Didn't you say that this war would be over once Robotnik was beaten?", Marcus said to the group, anger rising in his voice"and now your telling me we have to deal with another tyrant!?" Various people in the crowd also began to express thier displeasure at the situation as they began to yell at the three mobians in front of them.

Rotor began to speak up again "It isn't that simple, you see we..." but before he could finish, Marcus interrupted "And where is the princess?, why isn't she here to tell us about this, to ashamed to speak to her people face to face?" Marcus said, his tone filled with contempt.

"Thats crossin the line, an't nobody gonna bad mouth sally girl, you hear me?" Bunnie shouted back to Marcus her own anger rising in her voice at the Shepard's comment.

"Calm yourself mademoiselle" Antoine said, while taking hold of Bunnie's robotic arm, just in case she did something rash.

"Humph. I'm just saying what most of us are thinking right now" Marcus said as he crossed his arms, a annoyed look forming on his face as he glared at the three of them.

"Listen Marcus" Rotor interjected "the reason sally isn't here because....she...she's been..." Marcus's eyes widened as rotor looked down, as if he was trying to find the right words to say.

"Been what?" Marcus asked, suddenly feeling a ping of guilt for his earlier outburst."is she dead?" he asked, slightly hesitating on that last word. Rotor looked up at Marcus, the crowd behind him was now muttering amongst themselves over the fate of their leader.

"No." he said with slight apprehension as most of the crowd to a collective sigh of relief, but where still puzzled at the walrus's hesitating manner, Marcus in particular.

" Then what?" Marcus demanded, looking into rotor's eyes.

"She's been robotized." a voice yelled out from behind the crowd.

Everyone turned around to see none other then professor Charles standing near the doorway of the alcove. "And thats not all" he said as he walked through the crowd, their faces etched with shock as the elderly robian made his way to the front of the crowd."My nephew, sonic has also been partially robotized, by a new form of the roboticizer that's more terrifying then anything any of us has encountered.

"So she's Snively's slave then?" Marcus addressed the robian, his face held a look of slight disbelief.

Before Charles could answer him, rotor spoke up "Uncle Chuck what are you...".

The robian raised his hand up to silence rotor. "This was sally's idea, figured she get this over with rather then prolong it any longer." he said.

"I couldn't agree more." another voice called back from behind the crowd near the alcove entrance.

Everyone turned once again to see sonic the hedgehog standing by the doorway, his metallic limbs gleaming in the sunlight.

"Sonic" rotor said, as the crowd looked at the now partially robotized hedgehog, collective mutterings emitting from them.

Sonic said nothing as he turned his head away from the crowd and looked to his side, his expression changing from one of confidence to concern.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" sonic said, as he continued to look towards the side of the doorway, the crowd becoming quite confused as to who he was talking to.

"I'm sure" a voice emitted near the doorway, the feminine voice sounded familiarr yet somehow slightly distorted by a metal echo.

The villagers gave a collective gasp as Sally walked into the alcove, with sonic right at her side, a supportive hand resting on her shoulder as she made her way towards the front of the crowd.

-

15 minutes prior

"Sal," Sonic complained. "You can't be serious about this."

"Sonic, people are going to want me to step down from leadership." Sally said with a sigh.

"Don't say that Sal, you've lead us through some really tough times, I can't see anyone else leading except you." sonic said his voice filled with concern.

Sally looked down towards the ground, a pained expression formed on her face.

"Sonic, none of them are going to want a robot for a leader, it just that simple" she said sadly.

"But uncle Chuck's a robian, and everyone gets along fine with him." sonic said, trying to argue his case.

"And how long did it take for everyone in the village to trust him sonic?" The azure hedgehog didn't respond at first as he just looked away from Sally, a thoughtful yet pained expression on his face as he sighed.

"Alright, but who's going to take over after you?" Sonic asked her.

"I've had a bit of time to think it over." She said quietly.

-

The room was silent save for a few whispers, as Sally stood before the crowd,

"I know a lot of you are probably thinking about my appearance, but let me state that I am not a danger to any of you" She said, hoping to quell the concerns of the crowd as they continued to gawk at the metal princess.

Marcus frowned at Sally's statement. "And how do we know this isn't some kind of trick to let our guard down." Marcus said bitterly as he sneered at the robian.

Charles stepped in between him and sally.

"We've already made sure that she's absolutely cleared of any kind of programing that would endanger any of the residents Marcus" he said, hoping to subside the Shepard's suspicions.

"hmph, and how do we know your not in on it? After all we all know how trusting you kind is" Marcus hissed, as he glared at the robian.

It was then sonic stepped forward, anger in his eyes.

"Cool it Marcus! You of all people should know how many times uncle chuck has helped us out" he said as he glared at Marcus

The Shepard sneered at the blue hedgehog.

"Figures you would try to cover for him, seeing as your the nephew of a scrap pile" he said as he crossed his arms.

"WHY YOU!..." sonic yelled as he tried to rush Marcus, only to have chuck and Bunnie hold him back.

"It an't worth it sugah hog." Bunnie said as she held onto his arm from behind as he raised his fist.

Chuck stood in front of sonic attempting to push him back.

"She's right sonny, Marcus is just trying to get a rise out of you." he said as he tried to reason with his now furious nephew.

Both Marcus and sonic exchanged in some rather colorful language as chaos began to erupt within the alcove as people from the crowd beginning to yell and shout as the whole scene threatened to boil over into violence.

"ENOUGH, ALL OF YOU!" sally shouted, her metallic echo enhancing her voice, as the crowd suddenly grew deathly silent.

Sally let out a deep sigh.

"Please stop, none of this is going to help with dealing with the threat at hand. Right now Snively is building an army of robian soldiers and here we are arguing over such nonsense."

she said solomny as both sonic and Marcus calmed down a bit.

"On the contrary princess, the nonsense your talking about is pretty important to the majority of us, namely the fact that none of us here are going to be lead around by some machine." he

said harshly as several people in the crowd agreed .

A pained expression formed on sally's face, that last comment had stung a lot harder then she thought it would.

Didn't they realized that she was still the same person she had been before her roboticization?

"You got a big mouth Marcus, maybe I should plug it up with my fist." Sonic hissed, as he began to approach Marcus, but was stopped by sally as she raised her arm in front of him.

Sally shook her head, a saddened expression on her face.

"Please sonic, just stop." she said quietly.

"But Sal, he.." Sonic was about to voice his anger, but Sally cut him off.

"Just drop it sonic." she said in a more forceful tone. Sonic stepped back, glaring at Marcus

Sally took a deep breath, a look of defeat on her face.

"Marcus makes a valid point, which is why, at this moment I now resign my position as leader of the knothole freedom fighters" she said sadly as her closest friends along with the crowd

gave a collective gasp.

-

Knothole

After the announcement

Sally and Sonic walked down one of the many pathways though the village, watching as several passer-bye's bowed before their princess and smiled saying good morning, but as they walked back to Rotor's lab they started to get one or two looks and a snub. These people, Sally could forgive for their reactions to her and Sonic, she felt responsibility for not being able to keep her promise to the others that she would get their home back, that she would get their families and friends all back alive, the promises she give everyone on her life that she wouldn't rest until she got everything back to the way it was.

"I still can't believe you named me as the leader." Sonic said walking along side Sally.

"It was the only thing I could do, as I said before, I'm compromised. If I tried to continue my leadership, the council would have overridden me, and who knows who they would put in my place." Sally spoke to Sonic.

"At least you are able to keep your seat on the council." Sonic tried to comfort her.

"Only because I'm the only one of the Royal blood line left here, and you have to take my seat as the leader of our Freedom Fighter forces." Sally countered, Sonic could only groan at the news.

"Don't remind me. I don't know how I'm going to handle staying in one place like that for so long." He complained.

"It's the price we all have to pay, we just have to do our best with this situation." She said, then added. "I just wish Antone didn't take it as hard as he did."

"I thought he took it pretty well," Sonic mentioned remembering the reactions of others when Sally gave her leadership to him, and Antone's response was beyond priceless. It took Sally ordering him to calm down and come back to her after the meeting to discuses it in more detail later.

"Besides you both have to help teach me about the tactics, at least he was gracious enough to accept the position."

"Yeah," Sally also remembered. "The only reason the council is being so compromising. I'm surprised mostly by Marcus' willingness to go with this."

"I don't like it." Sonic's weariness of the situation dripped from his voice. "He's up to something, I can feel it, and it's not the numbness of my hands and feet that I'm talking about."

"No point in worrying about it now, we're here." Sally pointed out to Rotor's home and lab, there was more sounds coming from inside as a familiar hum and whine of a robotisizer.

Walking inside Sally and Sonic could hear some argument between Lupe, Ari, and uncle Chuck.

"How can you be building this monstrosity?" Lupe said to Chuck.

"It's simple logic, unfortunately." Ari said coming to Chuck's defense. "I don't like it either Lupe, but in this case I can see why we're are going to go though with this."

"And what could possibly justify its' use?" Lupe asked rather harshly.

"As I said before to Sally, we may be able to use it. Not to deroboticize, at least not yet, however we can try and use it to free someone of Snively's control." Chuck said to the pack leader.

"Sir Charles, simulation number 3 complete, all results pass inspection and all systems are green." Nicole said from a computer she was hooked up into.

"Thank you Nicole." Chuck said to the computer, then turning back to the wolf. "Look, I don't like this any better then you, in fact I hate this more then anyone else in this village, but given what happened back in that city, we can't ignore or pass up on any advantage we can get."

"I take it things are not all sunshine." Sonic commented on the argument.

"Not in the least." The ram replied back. "I just wish things didn't come to this, we had finally rid our selves of Robotnik and end up with someone that is potentially worse. Just how could this have happened?"

"We underestimated Snively," Lupe said. "he went from being the hunter's apprentice, to out doing his master."

"What's done is done," Sally said. "What I want to know is what we are all going to do? And where did Griff go to?"

"He went to deal with his group," Lupe said, "which is something I should be doing, but I need to talk to you Sally."

"I'd like to ask you all to stay with me on this one?" Chuck said "Rotor, how are things are on your end?"

The walrus popped his head up from behind a large metal console as he pulled off his welding goggles.

"We're good to go, are you sure you want to do this?"

"It needs to be fully tested Rotor." Chuck said as he went over to the computer Nicole was hooked into and started to input some commands.

"What's going on?" Sonic asked everyone.

"He's going to re-robotisize him self." Lupe said with a bit of disgust. "I still think it is a very bad idea."

"Bad as it is," Chuck said walking to the robotisizer platform. "it is the only one we got at this point. Rotor?"

The walrus closed up the panel he was working on and pushed a button, he gave a thumbs up and said. "I really hope you know what you are doing."

"Uncle Chuck! Don't this this!" Sonic came up to him, remembering the two times he was witnessed his uncle being turned into a robot, not wanting to have to go through it a third time. "Please."

"I'm sorry Sonic. Listen," He walked off the platform and then grabbed his nephew's shoulders. "I know you don't like this, but I promise you, this is something that will help not just you or Sally, but the rest of Morbuis as a whole if I can perfect this device."

"But what about the risk?" Sonic asked him. He then went and looked Sonic square in the eye.

"This time, I'm taking the risk" he said solemnly as he looked at both sonic and sally, "I just can't stand seeing anyone else be hurt for my mistakes."

"This is wrong. We shouldn't be crossing this line." Lupe said as Chuck walked back on the platform.

"Lupe. We are at a point where we need to cross some kind of line." Chuck said to her. "And right now it's better we cross this line versus something later on we will all regret. Because as bad as this is, we may be forced to rely on it if we want to help free the others out there."

Lupe gave up and just looked to the ceiling with a look that spoke 'stubborn old fool,' but she held her tongue and just watched the events unfold. "Okay Rotor, Nicole. Start it."

With that, the machine began to warm up for a few seconds, and everyone braced themselves even if it was only Chuck in it. The event brought back bad memories for both Sally and Sonic, Chuck him self wasn't any better, remembering everything up to and after his roboticiztion.

Then it started. The metal of the elderly robian hedgehog's body started to both change color and look. His feet became something closer to Sonic's, his legs and arms also taking on a more refined look versus what it was before.

His original body coloring for his fur took over for the drab and dull shades of gray that was all over himself for near a full decade. His body also grew a few inches because of the changes, and finally his face became much closer to what it once was, his mustache becoming the same strands of steel like Sally's hair.

When it was all done, everyone held a collective breath, hoping beyond hope that uncle Chuck was still there.

The robian opens his eyes and looks at himself. "Well, that didn't hurt at all, not like the first time. How do I look?"

Everyone there breathed a sigh of relief when Chuck didn't go all mindless slave on them, even so, there was still decent. Chuck's body had gained back it's Sky Cloudy Blue color, his belly, arms, and mouth area had gained back it's tan color. However, his hands where still white from the the integration of his gloves into them, his feet had his old red with gold strip shoes made into their platform like form. Chuck's mustache and eye brows had went from a solid piece of metal into the the same steel fiber like state like Sally's hair.

His form was more boxy in some areas, he was wearing a belt like pouch item around his waist, and on his back looked like it held some kind of pack that was attached to his shoulders.

Rotor at this point just whistled at elder robian hedgehog's new look. "Wow. Looks like it worked better then expected."

"Sally, I need to speak to you right now." Lupe said frustrated as she grabbed Sally's arm and pulled her outside, once the door was closed Lupe turned to the princess and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Sally, I need to leave soon."

"What? Why?" Sally asked with a surprised look on her metal face.

"I've been talking this over with both my pack and with some of the others in the village council, and we've come to the agreement that after what that little worm did to you we're are not safe spread out like we are." Lupe said.

"But why are you leaving and with your pack, we will need all the able bodies we can get in this." Sally pointed out.

"That's the point Sally, we're not going to go and not come back. We've decided to pool our resources, consolidate everything and everyone, there are still more Freedom Fighters out there that will need to know what's going on, And other hidden villages like knothole that will need to be warned." Lupe saw the sadness in Sally's eyes as she said this.

Lupe knew her friend needed all the allies in her time of need, but right now the situation has changed and not for the better.

"Look Sally, we'll be back in a weeks time, we just need to get word out to the others and get our base in the canyon packed up and moved here. After what happened with Robotnik and now with Snively in power, it's only a matter of time before he moves on us all."

Sally only nods in response, takes a deep breath.

"Okay, but what about Griff? Snively must know by now about Lower Mobius, we can ill afford to let Snively capture anyone or the location."

"He told me that he's already gotten people in the remote tunnels outside the city with people extending them into the forest to evacuate them to Knothole and from there to set up a secondary base, possibly on what's left of Nimbus Island." Lupe said.

"Okay," Sally said. "Just promises me you'll be careful and you'll come back to us, and if anything goes wrong don't hesitate to call for help."

"I will." Lupe answered.

-

Knothole's supply hut.

In one of the underground storage rooms that connected to the supply hut, there was a meeting taking place. A meeting between about 35 mobians was starting in secret, the topic on hand, the robotisized princess Sally.

"Is this all of us?" Marcus asked as he looked over the crowd, "I thought there would be more."

A pig next to him spoke to him.

"This is short notice, yes, but we do have a few more getting things ready and '_convincing'_ others to our view in the matter."

Marcus didn't like the way the pig said it, but he wouldn't say anything at this point about it since he wanted to make sure he had the support of numbers, but still, on with the show.

"I gather you all know why you are here?" the German shepherd asked his fellow Morbians, they all nodded and Marcus continued. "Good, as you may know, the trip into Robotopolis failed...."

"Yeah? tell us something we don't know."A rabbit from the group said sarcastically

Marcus glared at the rabbit" Well if you let me finish I'll get to that." he said as he cleared his throat.

"I'm sure most of you are aware of the current state of affairs in knothole, what with the council electing a new leader for the Freedom fighters." "Which brings me to my next topic." "Princess Sally Acorn. "As long as she's here she's a threat to the entire village." he finished, a hint of distian in his voice.

A skunk spoke out from the group"Maybe but what can we do about it?, you heard what the council said she's been given amnesty like the other tin head" he said angerly.

It was then the pig that Marcus was conversing with earlier spoke up" You can leave that to me and Marcus here, I have a few people from Griff's band to help with that, even as we speak I got a few of my guys spreading the word around the village." he said with a smirk on his face.

Marcus frowned " you do realize Greggory that we need get the village to agree willingly, and not though intimidation" he said, suspicious of the pig's methods.

Greggory looked at Marcus a relaxed smile on his face

"Marcus, come on it's like ya said, as long as that walking scrap pile is still in the village none of us are safe, heck maybe we can get rid of the other metal head and maybe those two half-bots while were at it." he said.

Marcus glared at the pig

"Get this straight Greggory, we can't start parading around like some blood crazed mob, the point is to get the people to side with us so we can drive that metal freak out of our village, the others are to be left alone." he said angrily.

-

Knothole

Rotor's lab.

"WHOA!" Sonic shouted in his seat as his left foot rocketed for a second, the afterburner on the back of his robotized leg going off as Chuck was working with his new tools from a his belt and his arm as a few panels opened with readouts and data.

Both Sonic's feet had all their panels open and exposed, boosters on the back of his leg, extended, one of his feet had a few cables on it, the other being the one that made it look like Sonic was doing a Cancan kick from his seat open with more wires, some going into Chucks wrist.

"Sorry Sonic. Still getting used to this all." Chuck said as his left hand caught Sonic's foot as it came back down.

"You're not the only one uncle Chuck." Sonic Complained having to deal with the fact that he had to sit there and let his uncle mess with his robotic limbs because he needed to make sure Sonic's limbs where set right.

His uncle wanted to, in his words, 'Calibrate everything to insure safety' wasn't lost on him, but why the elder robian wanted to do this was something he couldn't figure out..

"Well, both my fears where confirmed and my suspitions validated on what you got." Chuck said.

"Well? Don't keep me hanging here." Sonic tapping his other foot.

"Well, as I said before last night," Chuck said as he pushed a button on his wrist and the panels without cables started to close, the rest following suit as Chuck pulled the wires out. "It seems that I was not only right about the Booster system, but you have some kind of mangnetic system that seems powerful enough to let you walk on a wall, not just run up it, possibly stand on a ceiling if they are metal. I also found a kind of hover system, from what I can guess it lets you float over the ground by a few inches, powerful enough to let you slow down a fall even. There's also a kind of weapons and slot system in there for some kind of item use possibly."

Sonic listened to what his uncle was telling him about his new parts and was both excited and scared, because he could do all kinds of things now then before and afraid of what Snively could do if he and Sally where in his control, still Sonic decided not to dwell on the negative and lean more to the positive about this..

"Whoa, way past cool, anything else?" He asked excited a bit.

"Yes, from what I can guess of the power output of this systems, you might be able to run as fast if not faster without the use of a Power Ring, with one I can't say, it scares me to think you might be going so fast you might go faster then your body can handle, which is where this comes in." Chuck said grabbing Sonic's hand and opening up a side panel and inserts a tool that comes out of his figure, suddenly the top of the forearm pops open.

"Seems you have your self a pretty nasty weapons system, but because you are not fully robotisized, you can only fire a few shots and let it recharge, which can take a while or you might be able to use a Power Ring, that is where the capacitors comes in."

Chuck then frowned as if he was looking at something wrong, Sonic picked up on it right away.

"Is something the matter?" Sonic asked.

"Yes, it would seem that it's inactive, and I can't bring it online. Might be due to insufficient programing, namely a form of control software or lack of a proper power source, and it looks pretty complicated." Chuck sighed. "Better not to mess with it right now, anyways, you seem to have some kinds of capacitors that if I'm right, let's your store energy from a Power Ring for long periods of time for later use. Beyond that I'm sure there's still more surprises left to be discovered, one thing I know for sure is that it seems your systems are waterproof."

"At least this will give us an edge over Snively." Sonic said.

"If only you could have brought a book or something about the events of the coupe and had come a few days if not weeks earlier when you came back in time all those years ago." Chuck said pulling his tool from the plug slot in Sonic's arm and the laser in his arm closed back up.

"You still remember that?" Sonic said.

"It's kind of hard to forget, and I especially couldn't forget you trying to bring me out of Robotnik's control then." Chuck sighed after his response.

"If we could only have, makes me wish I did do as Sally said when we came back." Sonic said as his face went from excited to saddened.

"Hey, I thought we had settled this before about that." Chuck said as he picked up tools and such. "I kind of remember the talk we had when we distoryed that huge diamond from ever being used by Robotnik."

"What?" Sonic asked confused.

"You know, our talk? Don't tell me you forgot." Chuck chuckled, "You're reacting just like then when I tried to warn you about your trip to the past but the programing reasserted it's self into me before I could say anything useful to tell you."

Sonic was confused, what talk was he talking about? It didn't make sense to Sonic as he was thinking back to that mission, recalling nearly everything said to him by his uncle the first time he was able to rescue him if only for a short while.

"Seriously, I don't know what you are talking about, I remember that day and we didn't have any kind of conversation about Sal and me going into the past with you." Sonic confirmed his response.

"Sonic, now what are you talking about? It was one of the few things we where able to talk about when we where alone for a few minutes when we did that mission." Chuck quickly countered.

"Uncle Chuck, we didn't, I should know. I remembered everything about that day and we never talked about that, we just talked about what we where suppose to do to get you out of there, that's it." Sonic said as he stood firm on his side of the events that took place, Chuck on the other hand puzzled face only deepened as he thought it though, then something clicked in his head.

"Sonic, when you went back to stop the coup, did anything change or happen differently then you remembered when you came back?" He asked Sonic.

"No, nothing...wait, there was one thing. Rosie." Sonic responded.

"Rosie? What do you mean?"

"It was when we got back." Sonic said remembering the event. "Sally had told Rosie not to leave Knothole ever. Because back about 4 or 5 years ago, she went to get medicine for one of us kids who got sick, but before she could get back Robotnik got her on the spot and we found her already robotisized on a mission. At the time he had some kind of Robotisization gun then, kind of makes me wonder why he didn't use that instead of the Doomsday now that I think about it."

This bit of information left the elder robian silent and deep in though. Sonic saw his uncle with a concerned look.

"Hey unk, you okay? Hello? Mobius to Uncle Chuck." Sonic waved his hand in frount of his uncle's face.

"Wha, oh, sorry, you got me thinking of one of Robotnik's old projects that I had the misfortune of being part of. I remembered something just now, it's about the same time, but Robotnik had taken a force into the Great Forest. He was combing the area for a test subject, me and some others where being made to put the gun together, but no one showed. However it begs the question, what else changed because of what you and Sally did."

But before Chuck could finish or add anything else, Sally came in with Lupe behind her.

"Hey Sal, everything okay?" Sonic asked as Sally came in with a serious look.

She then turned to Sonic and nodded.

"Yes, everything's fine."

"I need to finalize everything with Ari. I will talk to you later tonight about everything else." Lupe finished up with Sally and went over to the Ram who was pointing out something to Rotor.

"What's that about?" Chuck asked.

"She's taking her pack with her and leaving Knothole,for a few weeks." Sally said.

"Oh yeah, I heard from Ari about that, about time we put up a united frount, Lord knows we're going to need it now." Chuck said as he put the last of his tools away.

"Anyways Sonic, you're good to go, but take it slow for now, plus we need to finish our conversation later. There is a few more details we need to look at."

And with that he went back to work on the roboticizer."

"Chuck, do you still need Nicole?" She asked her elder robain.

"Yes, unfortunately. We're still going over the data of my test run and comparing it to the simulations. It might be later tonight I get her back to you."

"Okay, come on Sonic, we need to check on someone." She said turning to the partiality robotisized hedgehog.

"Who?"

"Who else, Tails."

-

Knothole

Bunnie's hut

Tails sat silently as he stared out of the window, a thoughtful, yet pained expression on his face.

It was then that the sound of the hut's front door creeking open snapped him out of his daze, as Bunnie walked in.

The Rabbit girl looked over at the young fox, a small smile forming on her face.

"Hey Tails, how are ya feeling today?" she said gently as she sat next to the him.

Tails turned to face her "A little better then yesterday " he said quietly as he offered her a small, but sad smile.

Bunnie's expression soften " Thats good to hear, so are ya hungry? I could whip up something for ya if ya like." she said in a cheerful tone.

Tails turned his head back to the window.

" No thanks Aunt Bunnie, I'm not really that hungry right now" he said solemnly.

Bunnie let out a small sigh, as she looked at tails.

"Are you sure your feelin better?" she said quietly.

Tails looked down as he turned to face her."I....I just wish things could go back to the way things where" He said sadly.

A pained look formed on Bunnie's face as she looked down at the poor boy, the sorrowful events from last night still effecting him even now.

Bunnie keeled down and hugged him gently.

"I know tails, I know" she whispered, as the young fox returned her embrace.

Suddenly a knock came at the door,both Bunnie and tails broke off their embrace as she got up to answer the door.

"Hey y'all' Bunnie said pleasantly, as tails walked up next to her, curious as to who she was talking to.

The door opened wider as Sonic walked in, his robotized limbs caused the floor to creek slightly from the added weight.

"Sonic!" tails said excitedly as he rushed the blue hedgehog, who could only smile as the kitsune like fox boy hugged him

"Hey little bro." sonic said happily as he frazzled the young fox's hair.

"I'm glad your ok sonic" he said as he looked up at his hero, who gave him a soft smile as he placed the young fox back down on the floor.

It was then that sonic noticed tails was now staring at his metallic limbs, a small hint of shock etched on his face.

The blue hedgehog gave tails a reassuring smile" don't worry little guy, ya don't need to worry about these" he said as he flexed his fingers.

"Are you sure you ok, I..I mean now that you have metal parts like aunt Bunnie?" he asked hesitantly.

Sonic grinned, Well it's taken some getting use to, but your aunt Bunnie has been giving me some practice lessons." he said as he looked towards Bunnie

The rabbit girl gave him a playful smile.

" And Ol sugah hog here is a fast learner, but he's still got a ways to go" she said, referring to their early morning session.

Tails nodded.

" So thats why you where gone this morning aunt Bunnie?" he asked curiously.

Bunnie smiled as she nodded to the fox.

" yep, sorry bout that, would have been back sooner but lets just say sugah hog isn't exactly the most patient person to work with" she said as she gave a small smirk the the hedgehog.

"When has he ever?" tails giggled, as Bunnie also started to laugh a little.

Sonic looked at the two with a sour look, but then started to snicker a little.

" Yeah, yeah laugh it up you too" he said with a smirk.

From the edge of the doorway sally looked on at the playful scene in front of her, a small yet sad smile on her face.

Sonic turned his head towards the door, curious as to why sally had not followed him in.

"Hold on one sec." he said as he walked back to the doorway, while tails looked on curiously.

Sonic walked out to see sally still out on the porch of Bunnie's hut, a small look of fear and anxiety on her face.

"What wrong Sal, I thought you wanted to see how tails was doing?" Sonic whispered

Sally looked up at the him. Her eyes trembleing slightly.

"I know...but....but what if he.." Sally didn't finish as she looked back down towards the ground.

Sonic placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

" don't worry Sal, deep down he knows your still you, ok?" he said reassuringly.

Sally nodded lightly as both sonic and her walked to the door.

Sonic was the first to walk back into the hut, a small smile on his face.

"Ok tails, I want you to promise me that you won't get scared ok?" he said softly as the young fox raised an eyebrow.

"Um ok." he said hesitantly as he looked up at Bunnie who gave him a reassuring smile of her own, a small fear lingering in her mind as to how the young boy was going to react to

what was about to happen.

Sonic gave a simple nod as he stood away from the doorway

"It's ok Sal, come on." he said quietly.

Tail's eyes lit up at the mentioning of her name.

"Aunt sally's here? She's ok?" he said hopefully as he walked towards the doorway.

"Aunt Sally your....."

It was then that sally walked in, a hopeful look on her face as she looked down at the young fox who had now stopped dead in his tracks.

Tails eyes widen in fear, memories from the mission flashing in his mind. The glowing red eyes, the evil sneer that was etched on it's face as it began to strangle him, It's voice ringing in

his sub Consciousness.

_" I'LL CRUSH THE LIFE OUT OF YOU" _it echoed over and over as it glared at him with hate filled eyes.

Sally watched the young fox as he hesitantly started to step away from her, a sorrowful look etched on her face.

Tails hid behind Bunnie

" That's not aunt sally." he said fearfully, as Bunnie gently comforted him.

Sonic first looked at the trembling boy, and then towards the robian princess, the absolute devastation, and sorrow evident on her face, as he frowned sadly.

"Tails, this is Sally" he said solomnly as tails looked away.

"He right darlin, remember what I was tellin ya last night?" Bunnie said quietly, hoping the young fox would understand.

"That can't be her, Aunt sally would have never tried to hurt any of us!" he shouted as he looked at sally, a mix of anger and fear in his voice.

Sally's eyes went wide with shock as tail's words cut though her like a razor blade, but then her features softened as she looked pleadingly at the young fox.

The robian princess took one step forward.

"Tails it's really me, you know I would never.."

But Sally never got the chance to finish, as the terrified child ran from her, franticly diving under Bunnie's bed.

She simply stood there for a moment, her face almost unreadable, as sonic and Bunnie looked on, both of them feeling heartache for the scene that had just unfolded.

"Sally" sonic said sadly as Bunnie walked into her room, hoping to coax the frightened child from under the bed.

The robian lowered her head, a look of absolute rejection oh her face as her body trembled slightly.

"I.....I'm so sorry tails" she barely whispered,on the verge of tears as she turned and nearly ran out of the hut.

Sonic followed after her, only stopping to take a quick glance at Bunnie, who looked at him as if to say "Go on sugah hog, she needs you" as she kneeled down beside her bed while

trying to comfort tails.

"Ugh, what have I done to him? What kind of monstrosity-" But Sonic cut her off.

"Don't go there Sal, I though we covered this already, it wasn't you. It was that Slave thing and you know it. You just got to give the poor kid time and for me, Bunnie, or Uncle Chuck to get him to understand that."

Sally looked to her friend, a pained expression etched on her face.

"I know, but it still hurts."

She then looked at her open palms as if they where stained with blood.

"It was all I could do to not let that thing kill him, I don't know what I would do if-"

"NO! Don't even think it, it didn't happen, got that? As you said back when you gave me leadership, we need to focus on the tasks at hand, and right now that's getting a handle on our situations and kicking Serdly's kesiter."

"You're right Sonic, I just wish it didn't hurt like this."

"You're not the only one hurting right now Sal."

The rest of the way was just silence as they made their way to their next destination.

-

Knothole

Rosie's hut

The knock on the door came to the attention of the elderly mobian as she got up from her seat fixing a sweater.

"I'm coming, hold your horses." She said as she came up to the door. "Yes, what can I...Oh MY."

Came the surprise from Rosie's voice as her eye's fell on both Sally and Sonic.

"Hi Rosie," both said in somber voices to the elder as they held their heads down.

"Oh dear. I heard what happened from some of the others, but I didn't believe a word of it." She said in near disbelief.

"Well, as you can see, it's true." Sonic responded to her.

"Sonic can you wait out here? I need to have a talk with Rosie, if that's okay with you." She said to Rosie after addressing Sonic.

"Yes, yes. Come in, Sit down."

Rosie stood aside as Sonic only nodded to the robian chipmunk, and Sally walked in to the hut.

As the door closed Sonic leaned on the frame, arms crossed as he waited.

"Good luck." He said solemnly.

Sally did her best to watch her step as she came into the hut, taking care to find the strongest points where the crossbeams or posts that made the foundation of the home so as not to

have her weight accidentally brake though the wooden floor.

gGoodness me, are you alright Sally?"she said gently as she and sally sat down on her couch.

The princess only nodded at first as she stared at the floor, her face turned away from Rosie as if trying to hide from the elderly chipmunk.

Rosie frowned at this.

" Sally....you don't need to be ashamed around me" she said gently as she placed her hand on the side of Sally's shoulder.

The young robian, hesitantly raised her head slightly as she looked over at Rosie, a comforting smile graced the old woman's features.

"Rosie...... I....I'm" Sally stuttered out as her composure started to fail her as she lowered her head again.

Rosie brought her hand to sally's face, the robian reeling back slightly as if afraid of her touch.

"It's okay sally,I just want to look at you" the elderly chipmunk whispered as she brushed

aside one of her metallic bangs as she looked into sally's glowing blue eyes.

"I'm so scared Rosie" she whimpered, her eyes reflexed the fear and pain that was ripping at the poor girl.

"It's okay, it is going to be okay." Rosie said as she started to hug the Robian princess, Sally didn't even try to hug back fearing her new strength would harm the elder.

"Is it?" she said quietly.

"Yes it will dear. You have to stay strong sally. This isn't the same girl I have seen grow up before my eyes and become the young woman I know." Rosie said holding Sally's shoulders at arms length.

Sally closed her eyes, fear and pain coursing though her.

"You right Rosie, I'm not the same, how can I be after what's happened to me?!"

Rosie's eyes widen at the sudden outburst, but then looked on sadly as sally turned her head away from her.

"Oh Rosie. I don't know what to do,I feel so helpless, I just had to give up leadership of the Freedom Fighters, but...I...I just don't know if it was for the best."

"Sally." the elderly chipmunk said softly as the robian continued to pour her heart out to her.

I can see it in their eyes Rosie, they all think I'm a monster" she said as she looked at her metallic hands.

"And maybe their right" she choked out as she clenched her hands, Tails' terrified look flashed in her mind as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

The elderly chipmunk looked on sorrowfully as sally collapsed to her knees, her hands covered her face as tears streaming down her cheeks.

Rosie then cupped her hands around Sally's face making the princess look at her elder who for the last 10 years has been the closest thing to a mother, the smile in her face warmed Sally's robotisized heart, the look of hope coming from her eyes.

"Sally you're still the princess, the heir to the throne of Acorn, you still have your freewill and your freedom still. When all is said and done, at the end of the day you have to be strong, so when you beat Snively that is when you're leadership will be needed once again."

The robian looked back down towards the floor.

"But....I.."

"And enough of this whole monster nonsense, your nothing of the sort dear, weather your flesh or metal it's what's inside that defines you and thats what important." Rosie said softly,

hoping to snap sally out of the depressive slump she was in.

Sally sniffed out of reaction to her emotions, using her fingers to wipe the tears from her face as she got up off her knees.

"Thank you Rosie, I....I.. needed that." Sally said looking back and smiling at the elder Mobian.

"You're right, I can't let this get to me. Besides, someone's got to keep an eye on Sonic now that he's got leadership, who knows what kind of trouble he will cause."

Rosie just smiled and shook her head amused. "Now that's the girl I remembered from 10 years ago, even if you are robotisized now."

"What?" Sally asked, but before she could continue her question, both of them started to hear something coming from outside.

Sonic was playing with a rock at the moment, tossing it up and then catching it to test his dexterity with his new hands. It seemed he was a fast learner, faster then even he expected as he was able to pull off the delicate moves with his hands. He still was having trouble catching the rock when it went high up, higher then he though he could thanks to the extra power that his new appendages provided.

In the moment he would grip the rock after misjudging its incoming path, he would grip the rock and cause it to crack a little more,

"_I still have to get this down, what did Bunnie say about holding back?"_

the thought to himself as he looked down at the near pulverized rock

It was then that he heard the sound of a several dozen footsteps approaching and saw a large group of villagers led by Marcus walking down the path towards his direction.

"Oh this can't be good." he said to himself as the crowd drew closer.

-

Both Rosie and Sally turned their heads as they heard distant shouting.

"My goodness, whats all the commotion?" Rosie said as she looked out the window.

The elderly chipmunk let out a small gasp as Sally came up next to her.

"Rosie, whats wrong?" she asked, worryingly.

It was then that she saw it, dozens of villagers were standing in front of the hut with Sonic the only thing standing between them and rosie's doorstep.

-

Sonic stood his ground as did the crowd, both were completely silent for the moment as they stared each other down.

A hint of nervousness was building within the hedgehog as he eyed the crowd, most of them were armed with clubs, pipes, and other forms of blunt instruments.

"Is there a problem guys?" he said

no one in the crowd answered, but it was then that sonic noticed that some in the back where moving out of the way as a single figure made their way through the crowd.

Sonic glared as lone mobian came to the front, his teeth grinding as his brow furrowed.

"Marcus. figured it was you who was behind this little get together" he said with disdain, as the shepard glared back at him.

"Nice to see you too sonic" Marcus replied flatly.

"Cut the crap Marcus, whats the deal here with all of these villagers?" he growled as he pointed at the mobian.

"Just stand aside sonic, there's no need for you to get hurt, we're only here for the robian." Marcus said in a dangerously calm tone as several of the villagers behind him began to approach.

Sonic readied himself into a battle stance.

"Whats your problem Marcus? Sally's gone through enough already, and she doesn't need any more from you guys. So why don't you just call off this whole thing?"

Marcus raised an eyebrow, pondering whether the hedgehog's devotion was admirable or just plain stupid.

"Are you that inclined to protect that thing sonic?" Marcus growled as he bared his teeth.

He then pointed his finger to the hut as the villagers came closer and closer, brandishing their makeshift weapons

" As far as we're concerned, that machine is a threat to everyone in this village, and if you don't step aside, things are gonna get a bit ugly."

Inside the hut, both Rosie and sally looked on in horror.

"He's going to get himself killed if he tries to take on such a large group, why doesn't he make a run for it" sally said, near panic was beginning to rise in her voice.

Without a word, Rosie took the robian princess by the hand and lead her to a small trap door within the center of her hut.

"He's trying to protect you dear, which is exactly what I'm going to do as well, now escape though here, and use the forest for cover" she said as she opened the door quietly.

Sally shook her head," no, there is no way I'm leaving you or Sonic at the mercy of that mob, I can't just run away while.."

Rosie grabbed sally firmly by her shoulders.

"Listen to me sally, Sonic will be fine and so will I, now do as I say and escape while you can." she said firmly.

The robian gave the elderly chipmunk a saddened look, as she nodded timidly.

"I'll warn the council about this, just don't do anything rash ok" she said as she walked towards the trap doorway.

Rosie gave here a smile. "No need to worry about me dear, I may be old but I can take care of myself."

Sally then gave her a quick hug just before she made her way down the trapdoor, sparing a quick glance upward as Rosie shut it behind her.

Another villager was thrown to the ground as a huge gust of wind blew him back, the others struggled to maintain their footing as the azure hedgehog in front of them continued to

spin dash in place.

The miniature cyclone, died out as sonic came out of his spin, a determined look in his eyes as the villagers made another attempt.

"I could keep this up all day guys so if ya know what's good for ya, just give it up" her growled.

Meanwhile, near the rear of the mob stood Marcus, his patience wearing thin_._

_" At this rate someone could alert the council of what was going on"_ he thought to himself as another gust of wind knocked down several more irate villagers.

Greggory looked over at Marcus, a frustrated expression formed on the hog's face.

"This is gettin us nowhere, for all we know the scrap pile might have slipped out the back" he said angrily.

Marcus glared at the pig, grinding his teeth.

"Don't you think I know that?!" he growled at the Greggory as several more gusts of wind blew at their direction.

It was then that a blinding light shined in the corner of Marcus's pereferal vision, forcing him to squint a bit as he looked towards the direction of the light.

"What is it?" Greggory asked as he saw Marcus turn his head.

The shepard scanned the area where the light had come from. "I'm not sure I thought I........."

Marcus stopped in mid sentence as he saw movement between the trees, squinting his eyes to get a better look.

It was then that his eyes widened as he saw the shimmering light reflex off the metallic figure.

"No doubt about it" he thought to himself as he gave a small smirk

"OVER HERE!" he shouted as the crowd stopped in their tracks, all of them turning their heads towards the shepard.

Panic began to rise within sally as she heard Marcus's shout.

_"They spotted me"_ she thought to herself as she started to sprint, hoping to outrun the mob as the began to pursue her.

Sally's mind raced franticly as she attempted to lose her pursuers, having trouble maintaining her speed due to the uneven terrain.

_"If I can just reach the alcove, I'll be able to...AHHHH"_

The robian let out a yelp as a rock flung by one of the rioters slammed into the side of her head with an audible clang, her vision became scrabbled and distorted as she began to lose her balance.

Sonic looked on in horror as sally collapsed in mid sprint, her body slamming into the ground with a thud.

"SALLY!" he shouted as the crowd began to encircle the downed robian.

Sally let out a small groan as she came to her senses, her distorted vision returning to normal as she stumbled to her feet, only to realize that she was surrounded buy

dozens of irate villagers, all of them brandishing their weapons menacingly.

Sally looked in all directions, she was completely surrounded, a look of horror etched on her face as the crowd began to move in.

"Marcus none of this is going to help the people of knothole, you don't need to do this!" she said, panic rising in her voice as the crowd came closer and closer.

Marcus stepped forward from the crowd, glaring at the robian princess.

"Thats where you and I disagree machine, you see I'm in fact protecting the people of knothole, protecting them from monsters like you." he hissed as sally's eyes widened, her body trembling with fear.

"TEAR IT APART!" Greggory shouted as the crowd joined in, brandishing their weapons.

Terror was coursing though sally as the crowd advanced further still, now within a few feet of her.

"sonic" she whimpered, as she closed her eyes tightly expecting the end to come.

As if to answer her plea, A blue blur plowed though the crowd, dozens of villagers where thrown several feet in the air as others where knocked down on their backs.

Sally hesitantly opened her eyes, shocked when she saw sonic standing in front of her, a hateful glare etched on his face as he looked towards the crowd.

"If even one of you so much as lay a hand on sally, I swear I'll make you regret it" the hedgehog said in a dangerously low voice as he balled up his metallic fists in anger.

Various moans and groans could be heard from the the downed villagers, the remaining ones still standing hesitantly stepping back from sonic.

Marcus and Greggory got off the ground, both of them glaring at the cyborg hedgehog.

"I doesn't have to be like this sonic, if you keep this up, we'll have no choice but to take care of you as well." Marcus said as some of the villagers began to encircle the two.

Greggory sneered at sonic, disdain in his face.

"that's right half-bot, if you hand over the scrap pile, then we won't have to smash you as well" he said as he brandished a pipe.

Sonic glared at them, his teeth clenching as they continued to verbally assault the two of them.

Sally watched from behind sonic as the crowd began to throw rocks and various other objects at them, her friend doing his best to dodge out of the way of the incoming debris while still protecting her.

_"This is all my fault, if it wasn't for me, he would be here risking himself to protect me."_ she thought as sadness in her eyes grew.

Just then one of the rocks came streaking towards her head, but just before it made contact sonic jumped in the way as the rock hit the side of the hedgehog's face.

"SONIC!" sally shouted as sonic dropped to one knee, grabbing the side of his face.

The hedgehog let out a grunt of pain as sally knelled to his side, the crowd coming dangerously close to the pair.

"It's getting pretty ugly here Sal, ya need to get out of here, I'll try to hold them off." he said as he got back to his feet, a noticeable bruise forming on his face.

Sally shook her head, refusing to leave his side.

"This is insane! I won't let you get hurt because of me."

Sonic turned towards her, his eyes meeting hers.

"Sal, for once just listen to me, you have to get out of here, I couldn't live with myself if.... if.. you..." he didn't finish as he looked back at the crowd, determined to keep the robian princess safe.

"Sonic" she whispered, as tears began to form in her eyes.

Without another word, Sally bolted between an opening in the crowd, as sonic created another whirlwind, knocking down any possible attackers as she ran into the forest.

"IT'S GETTING AWAY" Greggory shouted as he and a few rioters attempted to pursue her, only to have sonic dash in front of them, a determined look in his eyes.

"The only way your going to get to her is though me" her growled as the crowd began to encircle the azure hedgehog.

-

Knothole

village trail

Tails walked along the pathway, towards Rosie's hut, a look of doubt and apprehension on his face.

The vision of the Slave controlled sally still lingered in his mind as his fear began to return, but at the same time, his heart was wrapped with guilt when he saw how he had made her cry.

He continued down the dirt trail, his thoughts focusing back to what Bunnie had told him after sonic and sally had left the hut.

-

Bunnie's hut

30 minutes prior

"Tails honey," Bunnie said trying to calm the fox child. "Y'all have to stop this. Your breakin your Aunt Sally's heart."

Tails only sniffed as a few more tears came down his face before he looked to Bunnie.

"But that thing, it wants to hurt me-"

"Now listen here!" Bunnie interrupted him.

"Did y'all see what happend to her after she let ya go?"

Tails suddenly stiffened up by the Rabbit's sudden outburst, but shook his head 'no' too scared right now say anything.

"Well, what Sally girl did for you was fight the Slave program that ol needle nose put in her, she fought to the point that she nearly killed her self.

Did you see when she was banging her head into the ground?"

He nodded softly.

"Well, she was finally able to beat back that Varmint Slave program that was controlling her body, not Aunt Sally."

Tails took on, a thoughtful look as he let this information set in place.

"Aunt Sally almost....almost.....she did that for me?"

Bunnie simply nodded as tails looked down at the floor, a look of contemplation on his face.

"She's feelin terrible about this whole mess, specially for what that thing almost made her do to ya, and right now she needs to know that will all be here for her."

Tails eyes widened in realization, and then his face shifted into a look of absolute guilt.

"Those things I said to her..I....I" tails choked out as he buried his face into his hands.

Bunnie gently placed her hand on the young fox's back, a pained look in her eyes.

"Oh darlin don't go feelin that way" she said sadly.

With out warning Tails jumped to his feet and bolted to the doorway, his pained expression replaced by one of urgency.

"Tails! where ya goin?" Bunnie said, surprised by the fox's sudden action.

"I need to find Aunt sally so I can apologize" he yelled back as he ran out the door.

-

Present

As tails came around the corner of the trail he was shocked by the sight before him.

Both Sonic and Sally where surrounded by a large group of villagers, all of them casting angry and hateful glares at the two as they pelted them with rocks and other objects.

Tails let out a small gasp as sonic was struck in the side of his face as sally came to his side, both of them saying something to each other but tails was to far away to know what exactly.

And a few moments later sonic let out a gust of wind as he rolled into a spindash, knocking a few of the villagers to the ground as Sally ran through the opening he had created and dashed into the forest.

With out a second thought tails revved up his twin tails and began to pursue her through the thick forest, keeping distance between himself and her as he silently followed her.

-

Great forest

outskirts of Knothole

A gentle wind blew across the meadow, the long grass swayed to and frow. Nestled, near a small stream the seduced spot was a small but vibrate area, littererd with grass and plants of all kinds, surrounded by massive trees all around. It was a peaceful quite place, devoid of any people, all accept for a single robot siting on a tree stump.

Sally had to get away. Away from knothole, away from the angry shouts, the hateful stares and fearful cries.

For ten years of her life she had steeled herself to fight against a tyrant to liberate her home and her people, took part in dangerous and life threating missions, and risked life and limb for her friends and fellow mobians.

But nothing could have prepared her for the fear and hate that had been directed at her, the shock of how quickly the people who had once been so supportive and understanding could

be so cruel.

"I can't go back, for their sake I can't." She whimpered.

She couldn't risk putting her friends in danger, fearing that they would be hurt trying to protect her from the angry villagers.

"Sonic.." she choked out as she began to cry, her tears flowing down her face, as fear and sorrow gripped her aching heart.

It was then that the sound of a snapping branch interrupted her sobbing. had the villagers manged to follow her? was it sonic perhaps?

"Who's there?" she said shakingly, readying herself to flee if necessary.

It was then that an orange-yellow colored form step out from behind the trees, two tails poking from behind it.

"Tails?" she said with a hint of shock in her voice.

"What are you doing here?" she said softly, hoping not to scare the young child with her metallic voice.

Tails didn't respond at first, he simply looked down at the ground, his face showing a mix of sadness and shame.

"Aunt Sally?" he said hesitantly as if trying to find something to say,"are you really going to leave?"

"Tails..." she said with sorrow in her voice.

What could she say to the poor child?

But before she could try and explain, tails spoke up once more.

"Sonic and aunt Bunnie told me about what happened to you, that it wasn't you who tried to hurt me." he said as he looked up at her, a single tear began to flow down his cheek.

"And what all those people said about you...those horrible things" he continued as his voice began to crack.

Sally could see it in his eyes, the pain he must have been feeling, a pain she knew all to well.

"I don't care if your made of metal now. Your still aunt Sally to me, and we, need you...I need you." he whimpered as he began to cry softly

She stood there briefly, her heart aching at the sight before her.

Slowly, she walked over to the sobbing young fox and knelled down, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

Tails looked up at the robian, her glowing blue eyes reflexing the sorrow she felt for him.

"As long as I stay in the village, it will only cause more pain for everyone I care about, including you tails" she said sadly

The young fox shook his head, unwilling to accept such an answer.

"But it's not fair! you didn't do anything wrong!" he said, anger rising in his voice as he thought of how the villagers had attacked her.

She saw it in his eyes, the slow burning anger that was growing within him as he trembled slightly.

Sally gently placed her hand on the side of his face as the fox looked her in the eyes.

"you can't be angry with them tails, their scared just like you were. Their only doing what they think is right." she said softly.

"But what they said back there was a lie, you wern't hurting anyone and yet they attacked you, how is that right?!" the fox said, his anger rising.

Sally shifted her gaze downward.

_"It isn't tails, but as long as I'm here, I'll only be endangering those that are dear to me." _she thought to herself.

"Please aunt Sally, don't go."

"I don't have a choice Tails. If I stay you and everyone else close to me will be hurt."

Then a determined look fell over the child's eyes.

"Then I'll go too."

"What? Tails!"

"I am going with you. If you won't stay, then I won't."

" Oh Tails, what are you thinking." Sally thought as she held the child. "Tails, you can't come with me, it isn't safe for you to try."

"Then what about you? Won't people in other places act like those meanies if I'm not around?"

"Tails, I can't let you do this."

"No aunt Sally," Tails sudden forcefulness took her by surprise, it was then she started to notice his face scrunching up and tears starting to build up. "if you leave where will you go? What will you eat? Who else besides aunt Bunnie is going to tuck me in at night if you are gone and she has to do more work?"

It suddenly hit her, _"That's right, I might not be able to eat anymore, but I will need power like Sir Charles does."_

"An...an...and," The tears where starting to build up stronger and began to fall from his cheeks, he then threw him self onto Sally's body and put his face on her midriff letting the tears fall full force. "I love you like my mommy."

"Oh Tails." She then thought, _"What am I to do? I can't go because he'll follow me, and I can't stay because of Marcus' group, but the cousile did give me protection."_

"Pl...please aunt Sally, don't go without me."

Sally hug the young fox back and then let a tear fall from her face, her warning system again alerting her to the tears.

"Okay, I'll stay."

Looking up to the robian, Tails gave her a curious look.

"You will?"

"Yes, I can't very well let you go with me and I know you won't take no for an answer." Sally then sighed once when she thought over it more. "And the counsel did give me protection."

-

Back in Knothole

The confrontation between Sonic, Bunnie, Antonie, Rotor, and the other Freedom Fighter Leadership and the rather unruly mob was really becoming ugly, but at least both sides where at a stalemate for the moment.

Marcus at this point was in a rather heated debate with Sonic over Sally's place in the village and was starting to become more agitated by the second, as he tried to egg Sonic into a confrontation, hoping to get support from the council to have the Hedgehog removed and appoint someone else because of how unstable he was. Or so he thought.

Sonic on the other hand was doing his best not to lose his cool, after running interference on the crowd long enough to get their attentions away from Sally and on him, he was being uncharacteristically more tactical in the way he was handling the mob. It would still work in his favor as others heard from Rosie after she ran to get Sonic his backup. It took the form of Lupe, Ari, Griff, and several others that still supported Sally, but the numbers where very uneven, what with it being about 4 to 1 in numbers.

"Give it up Sonic! We are willing to have Sir Charles stay here, but Sally has got to GO! She is a threat above all else to the Village, and I will not let it stand!"

"Marcus, what are you doing? This is insane, you are going against the council's orders?" Sonic countered.

"They will see things my way once they hear from voices of all those concerned for their families and friends!" The German Shepherd was backed up by the voices of the mob behind him shouting several things, some of which was sounding rather crass.

Suddenly, a shout rang out from one of the villagers as the two groups looked over to the source of the distraction.

The crowd saw as Rotor was holding what looked like one of the fireworks cannon launchers with smoke coming out of it, behind him was the village Counsel behind him with the rest of the few villagers that hasn't taken a side and uncle Chuck all of which had a look as if someone sucker punched them.

"MARCUS!!!! Yelled an elderly female Cat with calico patters over her fur, wearing only a shoulder scarf and shoes with a walking stick in hand, all of which belied the fact that she had the voice on her that made people think that she yelled so loud that it shook the trees in the whole of the Great Forest. "WHAT THE !## ARE YOU DOING!?"

The mob's momentum killed dead in its tracks, everyone in the face of one of the more fiery members of the conclude, when no one said anything she walked up in a very strong stride barely using the walking stick to use to walk on the ground and instead using the tip of the stick to point into Marcus' face and touch his nose.

"Well? I'm waiting, what is your excuse for 'defying' our ruling!"

Marcus didn't even blink once to the elderly mobian. "You are wrong about that robot."

"That 'robot' is still the princess and she still has her free will I might add, I though we where clear about this, she is to be given amnesty." Sighing slightly she then said. "I can see why she stepped down from her leadership role if she foresaw this coming."

"Well? I'm waiting, what is your excuse for 'defying' our ruling?!" she said, her tone one of barely controlled rage.

Marcus didn't even blink once to the elderly mobian as he gently pushed the cat's stick away from his snout.

"Im only trying to ensure the safety of the village. your decision about the robot wrong." he said firmly.

The elderly feline narrowed her eyes at the dog.

"That 'robot' is still the princess and she still has her free will I might add, I though we where clear about that fact, she was to be given amnesty."

She then sighed in frustration as she rubbed her forehead.

"I can see why she stepped down from her leadership role if she foresaw this coming." she said in an exasperated tone.

Marcus was about to respond to the elderly cat when one of the villagers pointed towards the forest.

"Over there!, look!"

Both crowds turned to find both Sally and tails emerging out from the forest.

The young fox and robian princess froze in their tracks when they laid their eyes upon the two crowds in front of them.

Sally eyes scanned the groups, noticing that even the council had shown up thanks the the massive ruckus caused by Marcus and his supporters.

"Maybe coming back wasn't such a good idea after all." she thought to herself.

Just then a few of Marcus's followers began to approach the two, a cautious look on their faces as they brandished their blunt weapons.

The robian princess was about to tell tails to get away when suddenly the young fox stood in front of her, arms stretched out in a defensive manner.

"Go away, leave Aunt Sally alone!" he shouted to the two villagers.

Sonic looked on as tails stood between sally and the rioters, both relieved that sally had returned, and shocked that tails was now caught in the middle of the madness that was unfolding.

"Oh mah stars, What's tails doing here?" Bunnie shouted, panic rising in her voice.

"This is so way past not cool" Sonic thought to himself as he and the others watched, afraid to step in due to the risk of causing another fight to break out.

Tails stood his ground as more villagers began to approach him and sally, the young fox's determination holding strong.

"Kid what the heck are you doing next to that thing?" one of the rioters said to him.

"It's dangerous to be near that machine, get away from it" another one shouted to tails, all while trying to coax him away from the robian.

Tails brow furrowed, his anger growing as the villagers kept calling Sally a machine.

"No, Your the one's that are dangerous, now just stay away from her!"

"Tails, get away from that thing,don't let it sweet talk you!" Marcus said in an almost pleading manner, trying to get the young fox away from Sally.

But all the while this was happening, no one noticed Greggory pick up a rather sizable rock in his meaty hands, no one accept for Tails.

"Lets see ya dodge this ya walking scrap pile." the pig muttered under his breath.

Time seemed to slow down as Greggory hurled the rock at Sally,the robian barely had any time to see a red warning flash go off within her vision as it speed towards her.

Tails eyes went wide with urgency.

"AUNT SALLY LOOK OUT!" he shouted.

The young fox's twin tails spun so fast that it kicked up a small dust storm in their wake.

*CRACK!!!! *

Sally fell to the ground, her vision scrabbling a bit as she tired to see though the screen of dust that the young fox had created.

"Wha.... what happened?" she said as her vision began to clear.

She then noticed Tail's limp body resting on her chest, a small trickle of blood ran across his face from the wound on his head.

Sally's eyes widen, Transfixed on the young boy's still form.

"TAILS!" Sally screamed, horror and panic coursing though her as she feared the worst.

She gently laid the child on the ground,checking him to see if he was alright as her visual diagnostics kicked in.

The young fox's vitals were displayed within the corner of her eye, showing that the strike had not been fatal, but if not treated right away, the child would be in serious danger.

But at this point Sally noticed that Marcus' group was slowly approaching her, a shocked look in their eyes.

"Look! She attacked the boy!" one of the rioters shouted.

"It is a killer! Just like Marcus said!"

Sally glared at the on coming crowd of rioters, the accumulated anger she felt growing to the breaking point.

Deep inside her something snapped, the pain and rage came to a head as she looked down at the hurt child before her, wanting to make them pay for what they had done.

"STAY AWAY!" she screamed, the anger in her eyes was so intense that it caused the approaching villagers to freeze in their tracks.

In one subconscious movement she raised her hand into the air as a unseen panel in her forearm opened up, reveling what appeared to be a large built-in blaster.

The crowd's eyes went wide with shock and fear as the barrel of the weapon began to glow a bright blue.

Sally herself gasped in surprise as she gawked at her arm, staring at the cobalt steel blaster, unaware she even had such a weapon.

Her surprise was however brief as she looked forward, the crowd finding renewed courage as they began to advance again.

"It is a monster, destroy it before it has a chance to fire!" one rioter shouted.

With out a thought she then pointed it above the crowd.

The rioters let out a collective gasp as they saw the barrel of the weapon begin to glow brighter then before.

*SHHBOOM*

The energy blast laced upward, striking a hanging branch, severing it from the tree with ease.

The branch then fell behind the advancing crowd with a resounding crash, the area where it had been blasted still glowing hot red as streams of smoke rose from the felled branch.

The combined sound of the blast followed by the falling branch stopped the advancing crowd dead in his tracks as the wild birds and other strange flying forest creatures in the village treetops flew off from the robian's energy blast.

"The first one that takes a step further towards me or Tails' will regret it." she said, her voice dangerously low as she glared at the now terrified rioters.

Sally lowered her arm slowly, the blaster retracting back into it's hidden slot.

"I'm taking him to the medical hut, and as for you Marcus, we are not done here." She said, her voice filled with malice and venom for what just happened to the poor child.

A nervous look was etched on the dog's face, fearful of the potentially deadly power the robian possessed.

She slowly moved to the young fox and was about to gently pick him up when suddenly, she felt increasingly weak.

Her Vision began to become distorted, and her body felt sluggish as all her motor functions began to shutdown.

Suddenly her optics began to fade to black, as a warning began to flash in her peripheral vision.

'POWER FAILURE. IMMEDIATE SYSTEM SHUTDOWN' it said in bright red glowing letters that flashed over and over.

"No! not now. Have....to...get...tails....to." Were her final thoughts as she fell over and landed next to Tail's unconscious form.

"SAL!" Sonic yelled as he saw the crowd advancing, but out of no where a massive shadow loomed in between the crowd and the robian.

Dulcy the dragon came in for a rather hard, but otherwise perfect landing.

The dust she kicked up in her wake, temporarily blinded the rioters as she struck a rather fearsome pose, her wings flaring out

A small puff of smoke emitted from her nostrils as she narrowed her eyes at the crowd, bearing her teeth slightly.

"I think Sally said you won't get off as lucky as that branch, and guess who will be giving it out." She said as more of a statement, as she pounded her fist into her palm as she stood up to her full height.

The crowd at this point wouldn't dare face off against the angered dragon as they started to back away slowly.

Dulcy turned toward Sally and picked her up with ease, then turned to Sonic.

"Sonic! I got Sally, you get tails to the Doctor."

Sonic, looked up suddenly at the dragon, slightly bewildered by what had just transpired.

He would muse later on about this being Dulcy's second perfect landing, but right now he simply nodded as he ran up to Tails and gently picked him up and sped off, causing a hurricane force wind in his wake as he rushed to get the young fox the urgent medical attention he needed.

Dulcy Flapped her wings as she took to the sky with Sally slung over her shoulder, flying overhead as the stunned group looked on.

It was then that the old cat woman turned to Marcus and his crowd, her glare sending shivers down the spines of the more cowardly members of the mob.

"Everyone, please take this group into custody and take their weapons, NOW!"

None of the rioters argued as they began to hand over their pipes, clubs and various other instruments.

The elder then glanced at Marcus, the dog in question froze from her stare as a bead of sweat rolled down his brow.

"As for you Marcus, you and I are going to have a little talk."

It was then that she noticed Greggory as he slowly tried to slip away from the scene.

"You and your co conspirator." she hissed as the pig stopped dead in his tracks, a nervous look forming on his face.

Marcus lowered his head, total defeat evident in his eyes.

"Yes ma'am." he muttered.

-

Knothole

Rotor's lab

For the second time in as many days, Sally came out from her fainting spell, looking around she saw Tails near her with bandages on his head, his unconscious form breathing in and out as if he was sleeping if Sally didn't know he got hit by that rock.

"Tails....." Sally said weakly

"He's very lucky you know, if it hit any harder or a bit lower it could have been worse." Sally turned to her other side to see uncle Chuck sitting on a chair with a device connected into Sally.

"Is he alright?"

"Just a mild concussion, he should be good in a few hours according to Dr. Quack." Chuck responded pushing a button on the device. "You on the other hand are a different story, you're energy levels where dangerously low."

Sally then recognized the device that was connected to her.

"Isn't that your recharge unit?" She said groggily.

"Yes, and you need it more then me right now. I've still got a few more hours before I need it."

Sally then pushed herself to sitting position on the bed she was on, it felt difficult to do so, an icon indicating her energy levels flashed in the corner of her vision, but she also felt as if she was hungry in a way. Not like before when she was a flesh and blood mobian, but it was recognizable none the less.

"But doesn't it only have enough to keep you going as is?" She asked her elder, it was just that device had been very hard to build and find parts for. Not to mention the power source itself was just as difficult to adapt to the water wheel generator, making it the only device of its kind in the whole of not only knothole, but in the Great Forest in general.

A device that was used to keep Uncle Chuck going when he was away from his hideout in Robotropilis.

"Yes, I can spare some of it since I still have a few more hours before my next recharge, but we're going to have to find away to keep your body charged up."

"With what? It was nearly impossible to get the needed parts, and we almost lost two people getting the key components last time." Sally pointed out to Chuck.

"Unless you have a better idea then sharing the unit or finding parts for a new one, we're very limited in what we can do."

It was then that a digitized female voice interrupted the two robians.

"Indeed Sir Charles"

Sally's ears perked up at the sound of Nicole's voice.

"Nicole? is that you?" she asked as she began to look around the room

"Right here Sally." Said the computer companion as Sally looked for her, the computer it would turn out was next to the device hooked into Sally, it too was hooked into Nicole.

"And I have bad news for you and Sir Charles, it would seem that the recharging unit is not able to fully replenish your systems without overclocking the regulator CPU."

"Oh no." Chuck said as the horror set in.

"Nicole how long can the regulator be left on like that before it blows itself or one of the capacitors?"

"Calculating Sir Charles."

And with that Nicole went over the numbers, noise from her onbord CPU going off to indicate her processing.

"Results of simulation, optimistic outcome is at least four more uses before critical failure, conservative estimates put it at two or less."

"This is bad." He said as he turned off the machine and unplugged both Sally and Nicole. "I think we may have shot our selves in the foot here."

"You mean to say that you and me are going to shut down for good unless we get some kind of power source?"

Sally's worry in her voice brought back the slight metallic echo which seems to be coming and going as she spoke at times. This being one of them as fear seemed to have triggered it this time around.

"Sally, reinsert me into your boot holster, I need to run diagnostics to see if I can deduce a possible alternative power source."

"Okay Nicole." Sally said, Chuck grabbed Nicole and folded her up while Sally bent her right knee to get her leg closer without having to use to much effort since she still felt weak even with the limited recharge.

Once the slot opened up Chuck handed Nicole over to Sally and she inserted the computer into her boot. Again like earlier today, she felt that shiver of cool and exciting energy go up her robotic spine.

Sally saw the data stream within her view before Nicole showed up again in a window in her HUD.

"Alright Sally, give me a few moments, I need to confirm several things." And Nicole looked in the window as if she was reading something off screen, her eyes darting back and forth, side to side. She would occasionally move her hand across the screen as if she was moving something on a touchscreen of some kind. Finally after much waiting Nicole spoke up.

"Okay Sally," Nicole said as the HUD window disappeared and the holographic window opened up with Nicole standing in full view showing off her mobian form for all to see.

"I've checked and re-checked your systems and I'm finding something interesting, it would seem that if nearly all your body parts have been robotisized."

Nicole brought up a side by side comparison of both her biological body as well as her robain one showing off a cut out with her each side highlighted with each one's twin components or body part to indicate what each one was. It was then that Sally noticed something.

"Nicole, why are there dark areas in the robotic side?" Nicole looked to the cut outs and then pointed out with her hand as she zoomed in on the dark parts.

"That is because these are your organic components, namely your Spine and brain are still organic. Sir Charles may have had these from the very start of his time as a robain, this however is what I want to bring to your attentions. The abdomen area."

The image highlighted Sally's abdominal region in both her former organic form and her current metal form, both showing a stomach of their own, showing it's familiar shape.

"As you can see there's another feature, I've have been combing the Slave engine data and comparing what I can see. It would seem that Snively also took into account the possibility that should the CR troops be away from any kind of recharging unit, it is equipped with some kind of fusion unit that acts as a artificial stomach if you will."

"Stomach?" sally said as Nicole brought up another diagnostic showing the so called fusion unit in greater detail.

"According to the data here the unit is called a bio converter and if I have reviewed the data properly, it should allow you to consume organic matter, which in turn would be converted into energy to recharge your systems.

Sally blinked a few times as she processed what Nicole was suggesting.

"You mean I have to eat something?" she said hesitantly.

"Affirmative"the computer said in a matter of fact tone.

"Nicole I don't even have a working digestive system anymore, how can you be sure if what your saying is one hundred percent certain?" the robian said, not entirely convinced by her A.I companion's suggestion.

"It couldn't hurt to try" uncle chuck suggested to the younger robian as he began to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going?" sally said worryingly

Chuck looked back just as he went out the doorway, a hopeful smile on his face " To get you a little snack" he said.

Moments later Chuck came back with a plateful of assorted fruits, a few apples some grapes and an orange.

"I figured it was best to use a variety to see which one would be best to recharge you energy reserves" he said as he placed the plate onto a small table next to Sally.

"If this even works at all." she said with skepticism as she picked up an apple.

"But if It does, this will definitely solve out energy problem indefinitely." Uncle chuck said as sally nod in agreement.

Hesitantly, Sally took a bite of the apple, her automated systems already activating and going though the processes as she began chewing.

_"This is to weird"_ she thought to herself as she swallowed, the bits traveling down her metallic thoat and down into her 'stomach'.

A subtle vibration in sally's abdominal region signaled that the bio converter was now active and currently going though the process of 'digesting'.

Almost immediately a small window opened in the corner of her vision showing a energy gauge as it slowly began to fill, all while flashing in bold green letters "SYSTEM RECHARGING".

"As predicted, your systems are already recharging due to the organic matter you just ingested" Nicole stated confidently.

Sally took another bite of the apple and swallowed " The strange thing is I can actually feel it working"

she said as the energy bar in her HUD continued to fill up, Sally herself even felt more awake now due to the much needed boost in her systems, as she took a third bite.

-

A few Hours later

Tails let out a small groan as he began to regain consciousness, the light from the medical hut's ceiling lamp blinded him as he opened his eyes.

"W.. wha.... what happened?" he said groggily, trying to lift himself up from the medical bed as Dr quack came to his bedside to check on him.

"Easy there kiddo ya took quite a nasty hit to the head, so best not to move to much" he said cautiously as the young fox nodded and slowly rested his head back on the pillow.

"How did I end up here?" tails asked as he took in his new surroundings.

Dr Quack, looked down at the fox a calm expression on his face.

" Princess Sally brought you here after you where knocked unconscious" he said as he checked one of the monitoring devices next to tail's bed.

"Aunt Sally?" he said slowly, as doctor quack nodded in response to his question.

"Yep, and it was a good thing she got you here when she did, otherwise you would have been in some serious trouble."

he said as he wrote down a few readings from the machine onto the clipboard in his hand.

Tails simply nodded as he processed what was being told to him, but then a thought came to him.

"Is aunt sally ok?" he said, a look of worry on his face as he looked up at Dr quack.

The doctor gave a small smile " she's just fine, she's out in the waiting area" he said softly.

"Is it ok if I can see her?" he said pleadingly.

Normally Dr quack would have forbid such an action for a patient who had just awoken, demanding that they rest first, but one look into the child's eyes told him that perhaps in this case he could make an exception.

The duck gave a small smile"Sure, I'll go get her, but in the mean time just relax a bit ok?" he said, calmly.

Tails nodded as he eased back against the pillow as Dr quack left the room.

Outside in the waiting area, both sonic and sally where sitting in the various chairs in the room, a look of anxiety and worry was etched

on the robian's face as her hedgehog companion placed his metal hand on her back, doing his best to comfort her.

It was then that Dr quack walked up to the two as they looked up at him, both of them readying themselves for any kind of news on tail's condition.

Dr quack let out a small cough to clear his throat.

" He's awake, and from what I can tell he should make a quick recovery in a few days" he said as both Sonic and Sally let out a sigh of relief.

"So he'll be ok then right? Sally asked, a small hint of worry still in her voice.

The duck physician nodded " positive. In fact he asked me if he could talk to you." he said with a smile on his face.

Sally looked towards sonic, who only gave her a nod.

" go on Sal, no sense keeping him waiting" he said as he gave her one of his trademark smiles.

A few moments later Sally came up near the doorway to tail's room, letting out a anxious sigh as she readied herself.

A small knock came to the side of the doorway" Tails?" she said softly as the young fox looked up to the robian.

Tails gave her a small smile.

" Hey aunt sally" he said quietly as she walked over and pulled up a chair next to the side of his bed.

"Hey" she said gently " how are you feeling?" concern creeping into her voice as she carefully placed her hand on his.

Tails offered her a bigger smile " A little dizzy but ok I guess" he said with a small laugh.

"Thank goodness, I was so worried." she said as she breathed a sigh of relief.

Tails looked up at her, a hint of concern now appeared on his face.

" Those people didn't hurt you did they?" he asked.

Sally looked back at the child, surprised and touched by his concern for her safety rather then his own.

She shook her head as she gave him a loving smile "No, I'm fine" she said reassuringly, alleviating the fox boy's worry.

"Does that mean your going to stay then?" He asked as he looked into her eyes.

In response she nodded softly as she gently placed her hand on the side of his cheek.

A excited smile formed on tail's face as he rose from his bed slightly and gave her a big hug.

Sally was totally taken off guard.

"T..Tails, you shouldn't be moving around so much" she said worryingly.

"I'm so sorry for the way I was acting aunt sally, I was just so scared that I....I " he didn't finish as he held onto her.

A shocked look appeared on Sally's metallic face.

"Tails...why are you apologizing? I should be the one to..."

But before she could finish, tails cut her off.

"Aunt sally, you don't need to apologize, I know that you would never hurt me, and right now I'm just glad your not leaving" he said happy as he continued to hug her..

Sally blinked a few times as tears began to form in her eyes, the pain and heartache surging though her from before slowly washed away as she gently hugged the young fox back.

Tails heard the sound of sniffling, he then looked up an noticed that sally was crying.

"Aunt sally? whats wrong?" he said worryingly.

She looked down at him, a loving smile graced her features " I'm just so happy" she said as she hugged him again.

Though slightly confused Tails simply returned her embrace.

"I love you Aunt sally" he said gently, a relaxed smile forming on his face.

"I love you too Tails" she whispered as the young fox and robian held their embrace as sonic looked on from the doorway, a calm smile on his face.

-

Robotropilis

Central command

Awe inspiring would have been the word in Snively's mind as he stared with sinister glee at his new troops.

"I would certainly love to see the the freedom fighters try to enter my city with these patrolling the streets" he said as he walked in between the single file ranks of combat robian troops, with Hal right behind him typing a way at a datapad

."As per your orders we have had all available units equipped with all necessary armaments and combat gear." the swatbot said calmly as he handed his master the datapad showing the tech specs of the CR armor and weapons"

Snively snatched the pad from the bot's hand" Hmmm, it seems we might be a little behind schedule, I see here that we only have 150 CRs fully equipped and ready for combat" Snively said annoyingly as he tossed the pad back to Hal"

The swatbot stumbled slightly, caught of guard by the datapad tossed in his direction."Sir with stations 2 and 4 still down we dare not risk taxing the system, the energy required to maintain the output for the Combat roboticizer stations have been very demanding." Hal said apologetically.

Snively stopped in his tracks and turned to face the Swatbot."I don't' want excuses Hal, I want results." he said darkly as he glared into Hal's visor.

The Bot raised his hands defensively as if expecting to be struck" I can pull a few more swatbots from the security stations and replace them with the new CR troops, that way we'll have be able to have the remaining stations running again soon, plus it will give the CRs a necessary trial run should any freedom fighters enter the city" Hal said, his voice slightly shaky.

Snively looked at the bot dead in the face, his eyes squinting slightly,but then he looked down to the ground as if in thought.

He then looked back up at Hal with a smirk on his face"Thats what I like about you Hal, always quick to find a solution to a problem" the overlander said as looked up at one of the many CR troops.

"Thank you sir" he said wearily as he took his side next to his master as he watched him inspect the trooper in front of them.

The trooper in question had at one time been a wolf, now completely re-robotized and dawned in heavy set jet black armor that covered him from head to toe the symbol of Snively's new regime painted into the shoulder pad, a stylized S taken from the overlander alphabet. Underneath the armor was a Kevlar coated fabric that covered any exposed joints of the CR,both allowing movement and protection. In it's armored gloved hands was a rather large caliber energy rifle, the GX-14-A to be exact, a heavy modified variant of a weapon that was once used during the great war by the old overlander army. On its head was a heavily armored helmet combined with a faceplate that did well to not only protect, but also enhanced its fearsome appearance as the robian's blood read eyes glowed brightly.

"Magnificent isn't it" Snively said as he stared in awe at the imposing killing machine before him.

Hal looked at the Trooper, it's glowing pupils staring back at him menacingly.

"indeed sir" he said shakingly.

Snively gave a snap of his fingers which immediately made the trooper turn it and snap to attention.

"Sir." it bellowed in a booming metallic voice as it raised it's hand to it's head in a salute.

"Trooper, what are your primary directives?" Snively stated as he stared into the CR's crimson eyes.

"Priority one. capture and or destroy any and all threats to master snively. Priority two. Ensure the stability and order of all activities within or through out all territories under the control of master Snively. perform any and all orders given to master Snively and to carry out said orders by any means necessary" the Trooper shouted out, it's tone strong and fierce.

Snively grinned evilly as he nodded in approval.

"Excellent" he said as he turned away from the trooper, Hal following behind.

-

Knothole

Nightfall

Lookout watchtower,

Highest point in the Great forest,

Sonic leaned against the railing as he looked outward towards Robotropilis.

The pollution spewing metropolis was more active then before as smoke billowed from it's various factories and production plants as Snively's race to get the city back in working order continued on.

_"Probably churning out bots by the hour., And that spells mondo bad news for us."_ he thought bitterly as he stared out towards the distance.

It was then that the sound of heavy set boots stirred him from his night watch duties as he turned to see Sally stepping off the ladder onto the platform, a backpack in her hand.

"Hey Sal," he said pleasantly, not quite sure what she was doing up on the lookout, but on the other hand certainly didn't mind the company, especially if it was sally.

The robian gave the hedgehog a smile as she set down the backpack on the the platform's wood plank floor while unzipping it.

"Thought you might get hungry on watch duty." she said as she pulled out two apples from the backpack, tossing one to sonic who caught it expertly without so much as bruising it.

Sonic gave a small smirk as sally looked on, impressed.

"You learned pretty fast" she said as she walked up and leaned onto the railing next to sonic.

"Well what can I say Ive always been a fast learner, but then again Bunnie's a pretty good teacher too." he said as he looked down at the apple in the palm of his metallic hand.

"Hmm.....think I would have perfered a chilidog instead " he groaned as he took a bite of the apple.

Sally looked on at her friend. _"or should I say boyfriend."_ she thought to herself, a small flash of red coming to her cheeks as she looked out towards the city, taking a bite out of the apple in her hand.

About a minute or two sally noticed that sonic was staring at her, his eyebrow raised in a quizzical manner as if something was wrong. At first she wasn't quite sure what he was staring at

her for, but the realized it as she looked at her partially eaten apple.

Sally swallowed what was in her mouth.

"Oh your probably wondering about this right? she said as she raised the fruit to add emphasis.

"Umm a little bit" he said in a questioning tone.

"Long story short. It seems this body of mine requires organic matter to recharge my systems" she said plainly as she took another bite of her apple.

"Hmmm guess that beats having to find an outlet to plug yourself in eh?" the hedgehog said jokingly as he grinned widely.

Sally at first gave Sonic a sideways glare, causing the hedgehog's smile to drop instantly, but then suprised him with a smile of her own and then gave a soft chuckle.

"Yeah I suppose so." she giggled as she leaned closer to sonic, who in turn wrapped his arm around her as they both looked out towards the starlit sky.

Sonic let out a deep sigh.

"Been one heck of a day hasn't it? First, I'm taking a crash course in body control, Made leader of the freedom fighters, and quelled a riot all in one afternoon" he said in an exasperated tone.

Sally nodded as she cuddled up next to the now blushing hedgehog.

"With the way you handled that situation, I have no doubt in my mind that I made the right decision in making you leader." she said softly.

Sonic gave her a suspicious look as he raised an eyebrow "No doubt huh?"

"Well.....maybe a little" she said hesitantly as sonic gave her a deadpan look, which in turn caused the robian princess to giggle a bit.

"Just kidding" she said playfully as she nudged him with her elbow.

Sonic gave her a grin of his own as he looked into her eyes.

"Sounds like your feeling a lot better since this morning" he said, noting how Sally didn't seem to be in the depressive slump she had been in for the past two days.

"Lets just say I've finally come to terms with my situation" she said softly.

" I tried to convince everyone around me to simply move on and not dwell on what happened to me and you, but the only one who had the most trouble moving on was me" she sighed as she closed her eyes.

Sonic looked at her, a contemplative look on his face.

"So what changed?" he asked.

"It was only after talking with Rosie and tails that I realized, despite what's happened, I'm still me, and thats what should matter and not weather I'm metal or not." sally said as sonic nodded in agreement, a soft smile forming on his face.

Sonic pulled her closer till the two where now face to face, looking lovingly into each others eyes " Isn't that what I've been telling ya since the night at the lake? " sonic said as he gave her a playful smirk.

Sally looked into the blue hedgehog's vibrant green eyes, a small blush forming on her metallic face.

" I know, but I guess It took me a while to believe it myself" she said gently as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Sonic said nothing as he leaned in closer and gave sally a passionate kiss, the princess closed her eyes as she returned it.

After a good solid minute the two young lovers broke off their display of affection, both of them blushing brightly. as they held each other close.

"Glad to have ya back Sal." he whispered as the they looked out towards the moonlit night , a content smile gracing both of their faces.


End file.
